Growing evidence links gut microbiome composition to anxiety, stress responses, and behavioral health in dogs and cats, opening new welfare interventions.
Anxiety disorders in pets are common, causing significant suffering and human-animal relationship stress. The connection between diet, microbiome, and behavioral health opens non-pharmaceutical pathways to improving welfare. Pets in shelters and those experiencing chronic stress may develop microbiome dysbiosis that perpetuates anxiety, creating a self-reinforcing cycle that dietary and probiotic interventions may help break.