Dog gut health: what's really going on inside your dog's tummy

Every morning, somewhere between the front door and the end of the road, you pick up a small daily clue about your dog's health. It's in the poo bag. And what vets have learned in the last fifteen years is that good digestion isn't only down to your dog. It's down to the trillions of tiny bacteria living in their gut.

Looking after those bacteria is what dog gut health really means. This guide covers what they do, how to tell when they're out of balance, and the simple ways to keep them happy.

What is the dog gut microbiome?

It's the name for all the bacteria, and a few other tiny organisms, living in your dog's digestive system. Most of them live near the end of the gut, in the large intestine.

• Hundreds of different types live there, most of them helpful
• Every dog's mix is different, shaped by age, breed, diet and lifestyle
• When the helpful types thrive, there's less room for troublemakers

One finding surprises most people. When scientists compared the gut bacteria of dogs, people, pigs and mice, the dogs' were more like ours than either of the others. Thousands of years of sharing our homes, and our dinners, seems to have left its mark.

What do gut bacteria do for your dog?

Your dog's stomach and small intestine digest most of their food. What's left, mostly fibre, travels on to the bacteria, and that's where they get to work:

• They feed the gut lining. As they break down fibre, they release natural substances that nourish the cells lining the gut.
• They keep troublemakers in check. One type even changes the bile your dog uses to digest fat into a form that helps hold back unfriendly bacteria.
• They support the immune system. More of your dog's immune system sits around the gut than anywhere else in the body.
• They may affect the skin too. That's why gut health comes up so often when vets talk about itching and allergies.

Signs of poor gut health in dogs

When the balance tips, vets call it dysbiosis. You'll usually notice it on walks first:

• Loose or inconsistent poo
• More wind than usual
• Tummy gurgling
• Eating more grass than normal
• Fussy one day, starving the next
• A dull coat or an itch that won't settle

The usual causes are everyday ones:

• Sudden food changes, the most common trigger
• Scavenging on walks
• Stress, from fireworks to kennels to moving house
• Antibiotics, which can't tell helpful bacteria from harmful ones

That last one is worth knowing about. In one study, healthy dogs given a two-week course of a common antibiotic still hadn't fully settled back to normal four weeks later. Always finish a course your vet prescribes, but expect the gut to take a little while to recover.

Can vets test your dog's gut health?

Yes. A vet can send a poo sample to a specialist lab, which measures key types of gut bacteria and gives an overall balance score. Most dogs will never need it, but for long-running tummy problems it means vets can see what's going on rather than guessing.

How to improve your dog's gut health

Most of it comes down to what goes in the bowl, and how:

• Keep meals consistent. Gut bacteria do best when they know what's coming.
• Change food slowly, over 7 to 10 days, mixing in a little more of the new food each day.
• Include fibre that feeds bacteria, like cooked pumpkin. Fibres that do this are called prebiotics.
• Go easy on rich leftovers and fatty treats.
• Keep them moving. Regular walks help digestion.

Probiotics, prebiotics and postbiotics: what does your dog need?

When routines break, a gut supplement can help. The three words on the labels mean different things:

• Probiotics are the helpful bacteria themselves
• Prebiotics are the fibres that feed them
• Postbiotics are the useful things those bacteria produce

They work as one cycle. Adding bacteria with nothing to feed them is like planting seeds in dry soil. That's exactly why we made Taël the way we did: a 5-in-1 prebiotic, probiotic and postbiotic powder for dogs, with pumpkin and MRF, all in one daily scoop. There are over 1 billion live cultures per serving*, depending on your dog's serving size. It's formulated with vets and simply stirred into their usual food at room temperature.

What your dog's poo says about their gut health

Healthy poo is chocolate brown, firm, log-shaped and easy to pick up. If it changes and stays that way for more than a day or two, softer, runnier, a different colour or with mucus, your dog's gut is telling you something. Think back over what's changed, and if it doesn't settle, or your dog seems unwell, give your vet a call.

You don't need a lab test to look after your dog's gut. Steady meals, slow changes, the right fibre and a little daily support from Taël go a long way. The trillions of bacteria inside will take care of the rest.