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Microbiome-Centric Interventions for Pet Health Conditions

Microbiome-Centric Interventions for Pet Health Conditions

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Microbiome-Centric Approach to Brain Health

Accruing evidence suggests that gut microbiota help shape normal neural development, brain biochemistry and behavior, and that gut microbiome dysbiosis plays a role in the development or progression of anxiety, cognitive impairment and dementia in human patients1 as well as cognitive impairment, stress- and fear-related behaviors, and epilepsy in dogs.2-5

The gut microbiome affects brain function and behavior, and the brain, in turn, influences the microbiome through bidirectional intercommunication. The term ‘gut-brain axis’ refers to the constant bidirectional communication between the gastrointestinal tract and the brain via the enteric nervous system and the vagus nerve, sympathetic nervous system, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, immune system, and microbial metabolites. 1

Altering the microbiome via nutritional interventions has the potential to facilitate this cross-talk between the gut and brain, and influence behavior and mood.1 The gut-brain axis plays a key role in the regulation of feeding and glucose homeostasis, and therefore may also play an important role in the development of obesity.1

Putting microbiome science into practice for brain health

Microbiome centric gut brain icon

Microbiome health and cognitive health are intertwined

The science

An intact microbiome and intestinal barrier are essential for maintaining a healthy gut-brain axis, and gut dysbiosis and intestinal barrier dysfunction have been associated with neuroinflammation.1,2

The microbiome and intestinal barrier are affected by age, and these changes play a role in age-related cognitive impairment and dementia.1,2

Putting the science into practice

Gut health is important for brain health, and gut dysbiosis may increase the risk of cognitive impairment.1,2 Therefore, efforts to maintain and preserve the health of the gut microbiome are important, especially in older pets, to protect brain health and cognitive abilities.

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Probiotic helps maintain calm behavior in dogs

The science

Chronic gastrointestinal inflammation can induce stress-related behaviors, providing further evidence of a link between gut health and behavior.3Approximately 70% of dogs demonstrate stress-related behaviors.4  Chronic stress can negatively impact animal welfare and the pet-owner bond. Highly stressed pets may be prone to chronic behavioral and health issues and may have a shorter life span.5 Stress-related behaviors can be difficult to manage, can place a burden on the human-pet bond, and may lead to relinquishment.6,7 The role of the veterinary general practitioner in identifying and treating their patients’ behavior problems is a crucial one.8 Pet owners may not recognize all signs of fear and stress, or may only reach out once the problem has escalated to the point of crisis.9 In a blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover study, dogs supplemented with the probiotic Bifidobacterium longum CNCM I-5642 NCC3001 (BL999) were less reactive (as indicated by lower cortisol levels), more calm (as indicated by lower mean heart rates), and potentially in a better emotional state (as indicated by increased heart rate variability) than when they were supplemented with a placebo when experiencing typical and potentially stressful experiences that pets may encounter in everyday life (e.g., visiting novel environments, hearing strange noises, meeting strangers, brief separation from their main caretaker).10

Putting the science into practice

The probiotic strain  BL999 can reduce stress-related behaviors, potentially improve emotional state, and help maintain calm behavior in dogs.

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Improving canine idiopathic epilepsy through diet

The science

Canine idiopathic epilepsy alters the microbiome, and the microbiome is a key driver of the response to ketogenic diets.11-14

A medium-chain triglyceride-based ketogenic diet significantly reduced seizure frequency,15,16 reduced ADHD-like behaviors,17 and altered lipid metabolism in dogs with refractory canine idiopathic epilepsy.18

Putting the science into practice

A medium-chain triglyceride (MCT)-based diet provides an additional tool for the comprehensive management of canine idiopathic epilepsy, providing an opportunity to help manage epilepsy through the microbiome and gut-brain axis. More information on MCTs is available in the Brain Conditions section of our site.

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  1. Cryan, J. F., O’Riordan, K. J., Cowan, C. S. M., Sandhu, K. V., Bastiaanssen, T. F. S., Boehme, M., …Dinan, T. G. (2019). The microbiota-gut-brain axis. Physiological Reviews, 99, 1877-2013. Doi: 10.1152/physrev.00018.2018
  2. Kubinyi, E., Bel Rhali, S., Sándor, S., Szabó, A., & Felföldi, T. (2020). Gut microbiome composition is associated with age and memory performance in pet dogs. Animals, 10, 1488. doi: 10.3390/ani10091488
  3. Ludvigsson, U., Heath, S., Tooley, C., Olmedal, G., Hellgren, J., Toni, M., & Toresson, L. (2026). Dogs with chronic enteropathy and low disease activity show signs consistent with compromised emotional health compared to matched healthy control dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 264(7), 857-866. doi: 10.2460/javma.25.09.0623
  4. Sacoor, C., Marugg, J. D., Lima, N. R., Empadinhas, N., Montezinho, L. (2024). Gut-brain axis impact on canine anxiety disorders: New challenges for behavioral veterinary medicine. Hindawi Veterinary Medicine International, 2024, 2856759. doi: 10.1155/2024/2856759 
  5. Mills, D., Karagiannis, C., & Zulch, H. (2014). Stress – its effects on health and behavior: A guide for practitioners. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, 44, 525-541. doi: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2014.01.005
  6. Kuntz, K., Ballantyne, K. C., Cousins, E., & Spitznagel, M. B. (2023). Assessment of caregiver burden in owners of dogs with behavioral problems and factors related to its presence. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 64-65, 41-46. doi: 10.1016/j. jveb.2023.05.006
  7. Coe, J. B., Young, I., Lambert, K., Dysart, L. Nogueira Borden, L., & Rajić, A. (2014). A scoping review of published research on the relinquishment of companion animals. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 17(3), 253-273. doi: 10.1080/10888705.2014.899910
  8. Stelow, E. (2018). Diagnosing behavior problems: A guide for practitioners. Veterinary Clinics of North America, 48(3), 339–350. doi:10.1016/ j.cvsm.2017.12.003
  9. Ballantyne, K. C. (2018). Separation, confinement, or noises: what is scaring that dog? Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, 48(3), 367–386. doi: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2017.12.005
  10. McGowan, R. T. S., Barnett, H. R., Czarnecki-Maulden, G., Si, X., Perez-Camargo, G. & Martin, F. Tapping into those ‘gut feelings’: Impact of BL999 (Bifidobacterium longum) on anxiety in dogs. ACVB Veterinary Behavior Symposium; July 12, 2018; Denver, Colorado.
  11. Verdoodt, F., Hesta, M., Goossens, E., Van Immerseel, F., Molina, J., Van Ham, L., Vanhaecke, L., Hemeryck, L. Y., & Bhatti, S. F. M. (2025). The fecal metabolome and microbiome are altered in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy compared to healthy dogs. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 27024. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-09919-7
  12. Zarnowska, I. M. (2020). Therapeutic use of the ketogenic diet in refractory epilepsy: What we know and what still needs to be learned. Nutrients, 12, 2616. doi:10.3390/nu12992616
  13. Cabrera-Mulero, A., Tinahones, A., Bandera, B., Moreno-Indias, I., Macias-González, M., & Tinahones, F. J. (2019). Keto microbiota: A powerful contributor to host disease recovery. Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders, 20(4):415–425. doi:10.1007/s11154-019-09518-8
  14. Ma, D., Wang, A. C., Parikh, I, Greene, S. J., Hoffman, J. D., Chlipala, G.,…Lin, A.-L. (2018). Ketogenic diet enhances neurovascular function with altered gut microbiome in young healthy mice. Scientific Repots, 8, 6670. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-25190-5
  15. Law, T.H., Davies, E.S., Pan, Y., Zanghi, B., Want, E., Volk, H.A. (2015). A randomised trial of a medium-chain TAG diet as treatment for dogs with idiopathic epilepsy. British Journal of Nutrition, 114, 1438–1447. doi:10.1017/S000711451500313X Erratum in: British Journal of Nutrition, 2016; 115:1696.
  16. Molina, J., Jean-Philippe, C., Conboy, L., Añor, S., de la Fuente, C., Wrzosek, M. A., Spycher, A., …Volk, H. A. (2020). Efficacy of medium chain triglyceride oil dietary supplementation in reducing seizure frequency in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy without cluster seizures: a non-blinded, prospective clinical trial. The Veterinary Record, 187(9), 356. doi: 10.1136/vr.105410
  17. Packer, R. M. A., Law, T.H., Davies, E., Zanghi, B. M., Pan, Y., & Volk., H. A. (2016). Effects of a ketogenic diet on ADHD-like behavior in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy. Epilepsy & Behavior, 55, 62–68. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.11.014
  18. Law, T. H., Volk, H. A., Pan, Y., Zanghi, B., & Want, E. J. (2018). Metabolic perturbations associated with the consumption of a ketogenic medium- chain TAG diet in dogs with epilepsy. British Journal of Nutrition, 13, 1–7. doi:10.1017/S0007114518001617