If you’re a human, prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics (oh yes, they’re worth knowing about, too!) are everywhere you look, and you’re probably already taking steps to care for your own gut health. If you’re a cat or a dog, it might be a different story...
Gut wellness is a relatively new idea in the pet care world but it shouldn’t be, because it affects your dog’s entire body.
As a quick fact: 70% of the immune system is in the gut. And that gut is a hard worker.
It’s a fortress wall that protects your dog’s body from pathogens and toxins, while letting in the nutrients they need to fuel long walks in the park or zoomies around the backyard or on your bed.
When your pet’s gut is imbalanced – a state known as dysbiosis – everything from their teeth, fur and urinary health to their day-to-day behavior and mental state can suffer.
The essentials: Here’s how the gut works
Inside the gut sits a wonderful thing called the microbiome: which is an ecosystem of its very own.
The gut microbiome produces essential nutrients from your dog’s food, such as short-chain fatty acids, B vitamins and vitamin K. It also supports their breakdown and absorption in your pet’s body – which means if it’s not doing that job properly, your dog can end up with nutrient deficiencies, no matter how great their diet is.
The microbiome is also a serious communicator.
Inside your pet, right now, it’s producing tiny chemical messengers that send signals to various parts of the body – including the brain, the kidneys, the bladder, the skin and the liver. That means that whatever’s happening in the gut affects these other places too.
Think of it as the body’s central hub: in constant communication with every major organ, helping process nutrients, supporting immunity and even shaping mood and behavior through its effect on the nervous system.
Quick fact: Over 90% of serotonin (the feel-good neurotransmitter that humans also have) is made in the microbiome. Gut feelings are as real for pets as they are for us.
The signs: How do I know if my pet needs more gut support?
Pet Loyalists will know when something’s not quite right with their pet, and when it comes to the gut there are plenty of signs to watch out for:
- Mouth and teeth: In the absence of good bacteria, harmful bacteria can overgrow and cause stinky breath and gum disease.
- Fur and skin: If your pet seems itchier than usual, or their coat is less than top notch, that could be due to reduced nutrient absorption because the microbiome isn’t in a position to do its best work.
- Changing behavior: The gut-brain connection is critical, and if those tiny chemical messengers aren’t doing their job, your pet can experience low mood, behavioral issues, stress or even cognitive dysfunction.
- Urinary wellbeing: Microbiome imbalance can contribute to recurrent UTI risk. If your pet has kidney disease, dysbiosis can allow harmful compounds to leak into the bloodstream, potentially contributing to further kidney stress or damage.
- Joints and movement: That microbiome imbalance we mentioned earlier (dysbiosis) causes inflammation that can make already sore joints feel worse for your dog.
- Stomach and digestion: If you’re noticing your pet has diarrhoea, constipation or the kind of gas that clears a room, that could be because of chronic digestive stress response.
- Obesity: Glucose regulation is influenced by the gut microbiome, and that same sugar regulation is critical to diabetes and obesity.
As dedicated Pet Loyalists, you may already be giving your dog the best food, supplements and medication. However, if your dog’s gut health isn’t in optimum condition, none of those efforts you’re making can do their work, if the excellent ingredients can’t get to the right places, or have the best possible impact.
And a quick note – other everyday things can impact your pet’s gut health, including drinking from puddles, eating grass, and taking antibiotics which kill the good bacteria as well as the bad.
The solutions: What can I do to support my pet’s gut health?
To get to optimal gut health, your pet needs four things:
- Prebiotics: The food that feeds the good bacteria
- Probiotics: The good bacteria that crowds out the bad bacteria
- Postbiotics: The good stuff made when good bacteria eats good food
- Enzymes: The workers that break nutrients down to be absorbed
Think of the gut as a house that you’re renovating.
First, you need to deal with the mess (reduce inflammation) by sending in a team of DIY experts (probiotics that restore balance), armed with heavy-duty wallpaper scrapers (enzymes to break up nutrients). They’ll be needing coffee and plenty of snacks (prebiotics to nourish the beneficial microbes), and you probably also want a friend to help project-manage (postbiotics to repair and communicate).
Once balance is restored, your dog can make best use of all the delicious food, treats and supplements that they deserve.
Gut Power: Getting it all working together
A healthy gut microbiome powers up the condition-specific ingredients in each of our products. You can choose which suits your pet best, addressing the condition that’s most relevant to them, from dental health, urinary tract health, joint care and mobility, and skin & coat condition – as well as year-round immunity and calming support.