Emerging research on the gut microbiome in companion animals and its connection to behavioral and physical welfare.
The gut-brain connection in companion animals is an emerging area of welfare science with practical implications. Research increasingly shows that gut microbiome composition influences mood, anxiety, and stress responses in dogs and cats — creating a bidirectional relationship where welfare affects microbiome health and microbiome health affects welfare. Chronic stress from inadequate environments disrupts microbial diversity; dietary restriction limits beneficial bacterial diversity; inappropriate antibiotic use causes dysbiosis with lasting effects. Dietary diversity and minimizing unnecessary antibiotic use are practical welfare interventions supported by microbiome science.