Gut Health In Dogs and Cats: Why It Matters

Gut health in dogs and cats is a huge deal. The microbiome in your pet’s digestive system impacts how the entire body works and functions. When your pet’s gut health is out of whack, it can affect everything from heart health to the immune system. Other than obvious digestive signs like diarrhea, soft stool, or vomiting, it can be tricky to determine if your pet’s gut health isn’t working properly. Many things can make your pet’s gut health go awry, including stress, medications, diet, illness, disease, and environmental toxins.

Assessing the health of your pet’s gut is important at least yearly since at least 70 percent of your pet’s immune system resides in their gut. It’s also important to get advice from the right source. 

Innovative Pet Lab’s co-founder and Chief Science Officer, Dr. Betsy Redmond, has a clinical nutrition and microbiology background. We asked Dr. Redmond how pet parents can improve their pet’s gut health and why it matters. 

Gut Health in Dogs and Cats: Why It Matters

Dr. Redmond knew things had to change in the world of pet gut health. For many years, Dr. Redmond’s dog, Linda, struggled with chronic gastric issues, leaving her feeling tired and unwell. Ironically, Linda’s symptoms mirrored those of the patients Dr. Betsy saw, where she worked with individuals with similar chronic gastric problems.

“Linda’s journey sparked a revolution in pet health diagnostics from the comfort of home,” Dr. Redmond shares. “This led us to develop comprehensive testing and personalized treatment plans that transform the lives of pets everywhere.”

Gut health plays a functional role in every aspect of your pet’s life, including:

• Immune system support
• Efficient digestion and nutrient absorption
• Skin and coat health
• Mental and emotional well-being
• Weight management
• Reduced inflammation and pain

When gut health is a priority, dogs and cats enjoy better physical, mental, and emotional health. Dr. Redmond and her team saw an obvious need to improve gut health in companion animals, which inspired the creation of Innovative Pet Lab.

How Does Gut Health Affect All Health in Pets?

Immune System Support
A healthy gut microbiome (more about that shortly) with beneficial bacteria helps protect your pet against infections, pathogens, and diseases. It also promotes a healthier immune system. 

Digestion and Nutrient Absorption
If your pet can digest properly, they can absorb the necessary nutrients to fuel energy, maintain muscle tone, and support growth. 

Skin and Coat Health
Often, when a dog or cat experiences dry skin or a dull coat, pet parents may try supplements or skin treatments. Unfortunately, an inflamed gut may be the root cause. “Canine and feline gut microbiota (mostly bacteria) significantly impact health, just like in people,” Dr. Redmond reports. “When the gut microbiota is imbalanced, called dysbiosis, it can negatively impact health.”

Mental and Emotional Well-Being
The brain has a complex network of nerves that influence other body functions. The gut and brain stay in close contact through what’s called the gut-brain axis. When your dog or cat has a gut imbalance, they can feel stress, anxiety, and behavioral changes. 

Weight Management
Pets who have a balanced gut (more about that shortly) are less likely to suffer from obesity, which opens up a whole other can of worms. According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), at least 59 percent of dogs and 61 percent of cats are overweight or obese.

Inflammation and Pain
Detecting inflammation early can help identify digestive problems before they become severe. A healthy gut helps control inflammation levels. Imagine your gut is upset, and you can’t tell someone you need help. That’s what dogs and cats feel when they have gastric distress.

What Exactly is Gut Health in Pets?

Knowing what the gut is helps us understand why gut health is important. Just as a car cannot function without a bad engine, your pet’s gut health is pivotal to overall health. 

Your pet’s gut consists of:

• The gastrointestinal tract includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine, or colon.
• The microbiome houses trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microbes. When a pet’s gut microbiome is imbalanced, it can result in an overgrowth of harmful bacteria. This dysbiosis can lead to increased intestinal permeability or leaky gut.
• Digestive enzymes, which the pancreas produces. These enzymes break food down into nutrients, which the body then absorbs. 
• Immune cells and lymphoid tissue which protect against harmful pathogens and help the ‘good’ bacteria and nutrients thrive.
• The mucosal barrier is the protective lining that covers your pet’s gut wall. 
• Nerves and gut-brain connection. As stated earlier, the gut is often called the second brain. The two communicate through the central nervous system, which is why an imbalanced gut impacts behavior, mood, and overall well-being.

Signs That Your Pet Has Gut Health Issues

Here are some common signs your dog or cat may have gut issues. 

No signs at all: You read that correctly. Pets can show no outward signs of poor gut health, even with an imbalance. This is due to slow-onset symptoms, changes are being overlooked, or hidden balances in the microbiome. 

Stool check: What does your pet’s stool look and smell like? A decreased appetite, change in stool color, consistency, or frequency may indicate gastric problems.

Bloating and gas: Is your pet extra gassy? Do they seem bloated? It could be an issue.

Weight fluctuations: Weight gain or loss is a tell-tale sign that something is wrong, and it might be gastric-related.

Changes in behavior: If your pet seems to be ‘off’ or not acting normally, it can be a sign of an inflamed gut!

Vomiting: Especially after meals, vomiting is usually indicative of something gastric. 

Bad breath: Often associated with dental issues, bad breath in pets may indicate many harmful bacteria in the gut.

Skin and coat changes: Does the coat look dull? Is the skin itchy? An unhealthy gut can trigger an inflammation response, directly impacting skin and coat.

Chronic ear infections: Anyone with floppy-eared dogs or pets with frequent ear infections should look to the gut. Food intolerances can cause inflammation, wreaking havoc on the digestive system. 

How to Support Gut Health in Dogs and Cats

Trends in human health teach us a lot about caring for the gut health of dogs and cats. As people focus on holistic approaches to wellness, this carries over to pet care. With an increased focus on caring for the human gut, Innovative Pet Lab saw the need to expand this offering to our beloved pets.

Dr. Redmond and her team chose to empower pet parents with actionable health data through easy home test kits.

These kits allow pet parents to monitor the gut health of their dogs and cats in one easy step–a fecal sample!

Co-founder Jamie Smith recognized this gap in pet care where accessible, home-based testing could help pet parents gain insights into wellness.

Diet, exercise, supplements, vitamins, and mental health are all important for a long, happy life. However, there was no way to know the status of your pet’s gut health. Fecal testing helps you to understand your pet’s gut health, which may help prevent hidden issues from being chronic. 

“Most gut conditions develop slowly over time, so it’s smart to address issues when they first begin,” Dr. Redmond says. “Like any condition, by the time you’ve been diagnosed, it’s been going on for a long time.”

Learn more about Innovative Pet Lab test kits to obtain an in-depth picture of your pet’s gut health. You’ll receive recommendations and a plan to discuss with your veterinarian so your dog or cat returns to their happy, healthy self!

Carol is the Immediate Past President of the Dog Writers Association of America and is well-known in the pet industry. She has appeared on television, radio shows, and podcasts, as well as in articles from CNN and Vetstreet to Dogster and Today.com. She is a copywriter, content marketer, and award-winning blogger who owns FidoseofReality.com and SmartDogCopy.com.