The gut microbiome plays a significant role in animal health and mental wellbeing. Stress and poor welfare conditions alter the microbiome in ways that compound welfare harms, revealing a new dimension of welfare science.
Microbiome research adds a new mechanistic dimension to welfare science, explaining how poor conditions cause harms beyond the immediately obvious. Stress-induced microbiome disruption creates a self-reinforcing cycle where poor welfare conditions reduce gut health, which impairs immune function and increases anxiety, which further harms welfare. High-welfare conditions that reduce stress support healthy microbiomes that contribute to resilience and positive welfare states.