People tend to have a negative reaction when they think of bacteria. Of course, contact with nasty bugs can lead to fever, vomiting, and many other unpleasant symptoms. Most bacteria have such a bad rep that the friendly ones are often forgotten. However, people and their pets actually have communities of good bacteria housed in the gut which can have a positive impact on overall health!

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Friendly communities in the gut

The microbiome of the gut contains bacteria which can utilise nutrients in food that our pets are not able to digest. The bacteria, in turn, produce compounds called “post-biotics”. These act as an energy source for the cells in the gut and have been hypothesized to reduce inflammation. 

Nasty Neighbours in the intestine

Of course your pet’s gastrointestinal tract will house a few meanies. Having too much of the bad bacteria in the gut has been linked to allergies, diabetes, and kidney disease, to name a few. Another benefit of those good bugs is that they take up space in the intestine and block the bad ones from settling in.

Feeding our gut friends

As you can see, the beneficial buddies of the gut do so much for our pets. The least we can do for them is give them a nice environment in which they can thrive! These little friends love to dine on dietary fibre. Foods that are high in fibre will encourage their growth and help them produce more healthful post-biotic compounds.

What to look for in a diet that supports the gut microbiome

Plant-derived ingredients will usually contain a good proportion of fibre. Look out for fruits and vegetables on the ingredient list. They might be listed as a type of pulp or fibre; “citrus pulp” or “pea fibre”, for example. Some commercial manufacturers will produce diets with a special blend of fibres to support the bacterial communities in the gut.

You can also look into feeding your pet whole fruits and veggies- just make sure that they are safe for your pet and that they fit in with their caloric allowance. Only 10% of your pet’s daily calories should come from a non-balanced source such as a treat or supplement.

What about “probiotics”?

Probiotics are the pure colonies of bacteria that can be found in the gut which are administered orally. They can be given as a supplement alongside a balanced diet or are incorporated into a commercial complete and balanced diet. If you decide to use an oral probiotic for your cat or dog, keep in mind that the evidence for the health benefits of these products are limited. They are unlikely to cause harm to your pet but are currently most often recommended for clinical use in sick animals.

Current research

Veterinary surgeons have noticed the benefits of friendly gut bacteria and are starting to use them clinically. An emerging treatment that is used in animal hospital for gastrointestinal upsets is the poop enema, also known as faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). With this procedure, fresh droppings are collected from a healthy animal and mixed with water to create a liquid slurry. This is then transferred up the back end of a sick patient’s gut, while under anaesthesia. The theory is that healthy pet poop will seed a sick pet’s gut with friendly bacteria and help to displace the bad ones. Vets have already found success with this method and hopefully it will become a more familiar tool for tricky gut cases in the future.

Take home message

There are a lot of benefits that come along with the friendly bacterial communities in the gut. Hopefully now you’ll be able to better appreciate the good that they do and help to keep them thriving!

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