The gut microbiome profoundly influences animal health, immune function, and behavior. Understanding microbiome welfare is opening new avenues for improving animal wellbeing.
The emerging science of the gut microbiome is reshaping our understanding of animal welfare. Stress, poor nutrition, antibiotic use, and inadequate social environments all alter gut microbial communities in ways that feedback on immune function, behavior, and emotional state. An animal with a disrupted microbiome may be more anxious, more disease-prone, and less resilient - a welfare impact that goes beyond conventional health metrics. Microbiome-informed husbandry, including probiotic supplementation, stress reduction, and minimal antibiotic use, offers new tools for improving animal wellbeing.