A healthy gut makes for a happy pet
With the beginning of the New Year, a common resolution is to work to improve our health and well-being. This can be applied to our pets as well, with the offering of better diets, controlling their weight and getting lots of exercise.
We can also work on improving our pet’s “gut health.” Why is this important? Because current research has shown that a healthy gut, or microbiome, plays a significant role in our overall health, and that of our pets as well.
What is the microbiome? It is a highly diverse community of microorganisms living in the gastrointestinal tract of animals and humans made up of primarily bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa. These gut microorganisms coexist to create a functional system that assists in the digestion of nutrients, synthesizes vitamins and essential amino acids, prevents infection, impacts and supports the immune system and promotes the development of many vital organ systems such as the gastrointestinal tract and the brain.
Dogs and cats are not born with an active microbiome. Immediately after birth, they start to develop one from their mother, but also their surrounding indoor and outdoor environment, the food they eat and many of the things that they come into contact with every day, such as toys will influence it. Even contact with the pet owner will have an effect on the composition of an individual pet’s gut flora.
The microbiome will change dramatically over time and eventually, it matures and becomes a stable adult population. Each microbiome is unique to its individual dog, cat, or human host, however, animals that live together and have similar diets will have microbiomes that share common features. Interestingly, studies have shown that people and their pets have similar microbiomes.
The microbiome will impact our pet’s health throughout their life as it influences virtually every tissue in the body. Most of the time the microbiome is stable, however, the population of organisms can be disturbed through illness or disease. Research has shown a correlation between gut flora and diabetes, heart disease, asthma, allergies as well as other conditions. A variety of disease processes such as inflammatory bowel disease, colitis, immune-mediated conditions, obesity and anxiety can disturb the microbiome and negatively affect an animal’s health.
We can also impact the microbiome when treating our pets. For example, when your pet has to be treated with antibiotics, some of the good bacteria can be killed along with the bad ones that we are trying to eliminate. This shift in the microbiome can allow harmful microbes to thrive, leading to gas, bloating and diarrhea. This can be corrected by the use of appropriate probiotic supplements containing live bacteria to help repopulate the gut with beneficial bacteria. Current research supports that a healthy intestinal microbiome is vital for overall health. Supporting our pet’s microbiome with a good diet, probiotics and plenty of exercise will lead to a new year of better health and wellness.
Ask the Vet” is a monthly column written by local veterinarians including Colin Chaves of Covington Creek Veterinary, Karen Novak of Mendocino Village Veterinary and Kendall Willson of Mendocino Equine and Livestock. Past articles can be found on the Advocate-News and Beacon websites by searching “Ask the Vet.”