Here at Your Canine Nutritionist, we're all about your dog's gut health! We know that a healthy gut microbiome is the most important part of keeping your dog happy and healthy, from their joints to their brain to their immune system.
What Exactly Is the Gut Microbiome?
Your dog’s tummy is full of something called microbes—including good and bad bacteria, viruses, and fungi—that all have to work together to keep things running smoothly. For a healthy gut, you need to have way more "good guys" than "bad guys." When things get out of balance and the bad microbes start to take over, it's called gut dysbiosis. This can lead to a whole bunch of health issues, from skin problems and joint pain to digestive troubles and even behavior changes.
How Your Dog's Gut Connects to the Rest of Their Body
You might be surprised to learn that your dog's gut health affects their entire body. We like to think of the gut as a central hub with different pathways, or "axes," that connect to other organs.
- Gut-Skin Axis: Poor gut health can show up as skin problems, and toxins your dog is exposed to on their skin (like from cleaning products or flea medication) can harm their gut.
- Gut-Joint Axis: An unhealthy gut can lead to inflammation, which is a major factor in joint issues like arthritis.
- Gut-Brain Axis: The gut produces important chemicals and hormones that affect your dog's mood, stress levels, and behavior.
It’s also important to know that 70-80% of your dog’s immune system is in their gut! A healthy microbiome means a strong immune system.
Signs of an Unhealthy Gut
When your dog's gut is out of whack, you might notice some of these common issues:
- Food sensitivities caused by damage to the gut lining.
- Yeast infections leading to itchy paws, ears, and groin.
- Digestive problems like diarrhea and vomiting.
- Bad breath caused by unbalanced gut microbes.
- Chronic inflammation linked to IBD and arthritis.
- Behavioral changes such as anxiety, aggression, or stress.
What Can Affect Your Dog's Gut Health?
There are a lot of things that can impact your dog's microbiome, many of which you can control:
- Diet: Fresh food, whether raw or lightly cooked, helps the microbiome thrive. Dry food can reduce diversity of microbes.
- Medications: Antibiotics and flea/tick treatments can harm gut bacteria. Always ensure a clear diagnosis before using antibiotics.
- Genetics and age: While these can’t be changed, you can be proactive about gut health.
- Stress: Stress reduces gut microbiome diversity in dogs.
- Toxins: Exposure to chemicals and cleaners can harm gut health.
- Inflammation: Conditions like cancer, obesity, and chronic illness can reduce microbial diversity.
How to Keep Your Dog's Gut Healthy
Here are some of our top tips for keeping your dog's gut in great shape:
- Feed fresh, minimally processed food.
- Add a gut health supplement like probiotics or gut-healing herbs.
- Use natural pest control to avoid chemicals that harm gut microbes.
- Choose natural cleaning products for your home.
- Reduce environmental toxin exposure—wipe paws after walks in treated areas.
- Vaccinate wisely: titre test before vaccinating and avoid over-vaccination.
- Find a reputable breeder who focuses on maternal health, diet, and careful vaccination timing.
- Reduce stress by working with a force-free trainer and learning dog body language.
Is Your Dog’s Gut Healthy?
If you’re not sure, or if you think your dog could benefit from a little help, Martina would love to chat with you!
You can book a consultation by emailing: info@yourcaninenutritionist.com or calling 1-844-486-4789.
You may also want to read: How You Can Unlock Your Dog's Health Potential Through Nutrition