The gut microbiome plays an important role in companion animal health and potentially in mood and behaviour. Emerging research is illuminating how diet and environment shape microbiome welfare.
The microbiome represents an emerging frontier in companion animal welfare science. Research in humans has established strong connections between gut microbiome composition and mental health, immune function, and systemic inflammation — and parallel research in companion animals suggests similar relationships. Diet diversity, prebiotic fibre, and probiotic supplementation may support microbiome health and thereby influence behavioural welfare. Antibiotic treatment, while often necessary, carries microbiome disruption costs that may contribute to post-treatment behaviour and mood changes. The welfare-conscious owner and veterinarian considers microbiome health alongside other aspects of companion animal wellbeing.