The Foundation of Canine Health

Understanding the Gut Microbiome

What is the Microbiome?

Your dog’s gut microbiome (and yours) is an entire ecosystem living within their digestive system. It’s vital to their life, health, wellbeing, and mood. The gut microbiome contains billions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi and is as unique to your dog as their nose print. Each organism has a specific role, breaking down your dog’s food and producing nutrients they can absorb and use. The makeup of this gut population has been linked to health, disease, immunity, and even behaviour. So, a happy, balanced gut microbiome makes a happy, healthy dog.

A Balanced vs. Unbalanced Gut

Think of your dog’s gut microbiome as a factory of workers, all with their own jobs. If some team members don’t turn up, or too many people work on the same task, the factory doesn't run properly.

It’s the same in your dog’s gut. If there are too many or the wrong type of organism, it can unbalance the ecosystem and cause problems—from diarrhoea to lethargy, disease, and worse.

Your dog’s microbiome is the foundation of their health, and keeping it balanced is vital to their long-term wellbeing.

A Happy, Balanced Gut Microbiome

  • Normal, healthy stools
  • Strong immune system
  • Healthy skin
  • Focused, calm and trainable

An Unbalanced Gut Microbiome

  • Prone to tummy upsets
  • Itchy, flaky skin and excessive shedding
  • Poor immune system
  • Unfocused and anxious

But Aren’t Bacteria Bad?

No, most of them are the good guys—it’s only some “pathogenic” ones we need to worry about. Most bacteria are doing a great job breaking down food, producing nutrients, contributing to the gut lining health and immunity, and helping nutrients travel straight from gut to brain, to feed your dog’s grey matter.

Happy Gut, Healthy Dog

The gut microbiome population is linked to your dog's diet. We believe that feeding a high-quality raw diet feeds the right bacteria, leading to a healthy, balanced gut and a healthy, happy dog.

We have always had the science and principles of raw feeding at the heart of all we do here at Nutriment, but not many scientific studies have investigated this link.

So, we set out to prove that our gut instinct was right—that raw feeding positively impacts dogs’ gut microbiomes.

101 Dogs. 35 Days. 1 Diet – The Study

With the help of researchers at Treat Therapeutics, we helped 101 kibble-fed dogs switch to a raw diet, analysing their gut microbiome before and 35 days after the switch. And we’re blown away by the results!

We expected to see their gut balance improve, the number of beneficial microbes increase, and the number of pathogens drop.

Although we’re still digesting the raw data, let’s just say…it’s looking good.

Hear From Our Study Dogs

Ernie & Hannah Reynolds

“Feeling like we have a bit of the old Ernie back, his stomach is perfect, drinking far less, his winter coat has started to moult now and he has a lovely shiny soft coat coming through.”

Frankie & Jane Higgs

"He has thrived on it. His coat is more glossy, poops are firmer and reduced in quantity. Also although he still has the exuberance of a spaniel, he seems more focused especially when I am doing agility and Hoopers with him. I will definitely be continuing with a raw food diet."

Samsun & Milly

"Prior to starting Samsun would have no interest in his food…He would have a gurgling tummy, vomit bile & refuse to eat at least 1 day a week, his poos, 2 or 3 per day, were very soft or often diarrhoea. Since starting, he has eaten every single meal…& his poos, 1 or 2 per day, are hard, odourless and generally smaller. His coat is amazing, his breath never smells & his teeth look cleaner."

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