Discover how microbiome and other testing can help you identify and treat the myriad causes of dysbiosis in dogs and cats.
The gastrointestinal microbiome is a complex ecosystem essential for healthy digestion, nutrient absorption, immune balance, and overall health. But when these microbial communities are imbalanced, it can cause health problems for pets. While diet, allergies, and medications commonly trigger dysbiosis, there are also lesser-known culprits that can cause issues in patients. To support holistic pet health, it’s important to understand how nutritional, pharmacological, and environmental factors impact gut health. Further, microbiome and other testing can help you identify and address the causes of gut dysbiosis in dogs and cats to support long-term digestive health and prevent recurring symptoms.
Micronutrient Deficiencies Impact Microbiome Health
Vitamin D, B12, and magnesium are key micronutrients, and they also influence gut integrity and microbial balance in companion animals:
- Vitamin D, obtained solely from diet in dogs and cats, regulates epithelial and immune function. As such, deficiency can impair barrier integrity, reduce antimicrobial peptides, and promote dysbiosis.
- Vitamin B12 supports both host and microbial metabolism, and reduced levels can impact short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) ratios, resulting in reduced microbiota stability, GI disease, and dysbiosis.
- Magnesium is essential for ATP metabolism, supports mucosal stability, and shapes microbial diversity. Deficiency in any of these nutrients can disrupt microbial ecology, weaken barrier function, and drive intestinal inflammation.
The Effect of Heavy Metals and Toxins on Gut Health
Lead, mercury, and aluminum exposure decrease beneficial taxa and cause oxidative stress that compromises junction integrity. Similarly, mycotoxins commonly found in grain-based pet diets reduce SCFA-producing bacteria, damage enterocytes, and permit bacterial translocation. Lastly, glyphosate residue, which is widely detected in commercial pet foods, can inhibit microbial enzymes in the shikimate pathway in gut bacteria and alter microbial composition and SCFA balance.
Medications and Gut Dysbiosis in Dogs and Cats
Corticosteroids are often necessary for managing inflammation, but they significantly alter the gut microbiome. Chronic use reduces diversity, suppresses SCFA-producing taxa, and promotes Proteobacteria overgrowth by weakening mucosal immunity and modifying bile acid metabolism.
Gut Dysbiosis Testing Solutions from VDI Laboratory Are a Must at Your Clinic
By looking at environmental exposures, pharmacological interventions, and nutritional sufficiency, you can assemble a complete picture of a patient’s status and create a holistic plan to support whole-body health, starting with the gut. Correcting microbiome issues requires both time and money, but symptoms are likely to recur unless you get to the root cause.
VDI Laboratory is your trusted partner in diagnostics. They have a comprehensive line of tests to help you identify and treat the causes of dysbiosis in dogs and cats, helping eliminate symptoms and prevent recurrence. Testing can identify causes like:
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Pancreatitis
- Protein-losing enteropathy
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Malabsorption
- Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth
- Allergies
- Cholangitis
- Heavy metals
- Glyphosate
- Mycotoxins
What’s more, their Test & Treat approach provides expert diagnostics along with customized treatment options, enabling you to make evidence-based decisions to support gut and total body health for each patient.
Visit VDI Laboratory to learn more.
