Research into the gut microbiome of farmed and companion animals is revealing connections between gut health, immune function, and welfare outcomes that were previously unrecognised.
Microbiome science is revealing that animal welfare is more interconnected than previously understood. Stress disrupts the microbiome, which impairs immunity, which increases disease susceptibility, which leads to antibiotic treatment — a cascade that each element of which involves welfare harm. Better housing, reduced stress, and dietary diversity that support microbiome health break this negative cycle. Research into microbiome-based interventions as antibiotic alternatives addresses both the welfare and antimicrobial resistance problems simultaneously. This emerging science provides additional evidence for the welfare benefits of higher welfare housing systems beyond the direct behavioural effects.