We all have a vast population of bacteria, yeasts and viruses in our bodies which if they are balanced help to keep us alive and healthy. This also applies to our pets. This is a recent area of exciting research in medical research which is coming on in leaps and bounds in the past 10 years and I am going to introduce to you when I get chance.
A healthy microbiome is essential for a healthy gut, brain, skin , bladder and more organ we suspect. So many causes of illness in people and animals are thought to be caused by a "leaky gut" allowing inflammatory substances to move out of the gut to cause so many symptoms and syndromes.
Leaky Gut
Healthy Gut
How can we restore a healthy gut biome in our pets?
Vets are often asked - Why does my dog / cat chew grass? Is is OK for him to eat soil
Test are both natural sources of probiotics its normal and in the vast majority of cases good for them. Avoid access to plants treated with pesticides and good organic soil is best! The dogs who bury bones and dig them up have a healthier gut microbiome than those who do not
Try to minimise the amount of antibiotics, that your companions receive and if they have to have them to treat life threatening disease then give probiotics afterwards to get the biome back to full health as soon as is feasible
