Research into the companion animal gut microbiome is revealing connections between gut health, behavior, and overall welfare outcomes.
The gut microbiome represents a frontier of companion animal welfare science with significant practical implications. Research connecting gut health to behavioral outcomes through the gut-brain axis suggests that microbiome disruption may contribute to anxiety and stress-related behavioral problems in companion animals. This opens new avenues for welfare improvement through dietary management and microbiome support, particularly following antibiotic treatment that significantly disturbs microbial balance. While commercial microbiome testing for pets is not yet clinically validated for most applications, the underlying science supports attention to diet quality and judicious antibiotic use as welfare-relevant microbiome management strategies.