Gut Health
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7 min
FREE UK DELIVERY ON ORDERS OVER £39.99
Derived from just one sample, your Dog's Gut Health Test report will reveal the secrets of their gut health, gut microbiome and the bacteria that live within it. From your results, you'll receive personalised recommendations on how to keep your dog healthy, happy and full of life through a tailored, gut health supplement plan.
An at-home Pooch & Mutt Gut Health Test for your dog is the easiest and most accessible way to get a snapshot of your Dog's gut health and the diversity of their gut microbiome. From just one poop sample, our lab can provide an outlook on what's going on inside their gut, and thus their overall health and wellbeing.
Your Dog's Gut Health Report will sit within your Pooch Profile and contains the results of your Dog's Gut Health Test. This includes the diversity of bacteria living within their microbiome, a representative look at their overall gut health, and other health indicators - all of which are summarised in an InvisibleHealth Score. It also includes a view of their tailored supplement plan.
From your Dog's Gut Health Test results, we can devise a plan of gut health supplements to help target and support areas which need extra attention. Packed with natural ingredients, vitamins, minerals, and pre, pro and postbiotics - they support and maintain crucial bodily processes and optimal health and wellbeing for your dog.
Using the results from their Gut Health Test, your dog can benefit from a completely tailored diet and supplement plan. These are specifically chosen to target problem areas, and backed by science - meaning you can sit back with peace of mind your pooch is getting everything they need to be happy and healthy.
Investigating your Dog's gut health is the very beginning of their journey towards optimal health, well-being and longevity. But what does that journey look like?
The journey begins with an easy, at-home Gut Health Test for your dog. We'll send you a Gut Health Test Kit with everything you need (including a free returns label) to collect a sample of your Dog's poop, package it up, and send it off to our lab. Don't forget your Activation Quiz, too!
Once our lab has received your sample, it takes around 4 weeks to analyse it and lay out the results in a Gut Health Report. Here, you'll find an insight into your Dog's gut health, their microbial diversity, and other health indicators that highlight particular areas that need a little extra support. From these results, we'll provide a tailored supplement plan, backed by science, that'll help towards a happy, healthy and thriving pooch.
When actioning your gut health supplement plan, you'll find they're split into 3 phases - the first one being Restore. This is where the suggested supplements help to strengthen and restore their gut health and gut wall integrity - in turn, creating a strong foundation for a healthier gut.
The second phase of your gut health supplements help to 'Repopulate' the gut by feeding and supporting beneficial bacteria, as well as encouraging microbial diversity and balance.
The third 'Optimise' phase of your gut health supplements help maintain the health, function and strength of the gut. This conserves great digestive health, and keeps up the improvements brought about by the overall gut health journey. In other words - keeping up the good work!
Once you've reached month 6, the Optimise phase should continue to maintain and keep on top of optimal gut health and microbial balance. This will help keep your pooch on top of their game and help alleviate pesky symptoms that stem from dysbiosis. A retest is also recommended at this time to measure improvement.
Many of the pesky symptoms dogs face, can often be directly linked to their gut microbiome.
Your dog’s gut microbiome and bacteria within it play a key role in breaking down food and absorbing nutrients. A healthy balance of bacteria leads to firm, regular stools, healthy flatulence, and healthy digestion.
Imbalances in the microbial diversity can trigger inflammation, often manifesting as itchy skin, redness, or hair loss. Supporting the microbiome can help restore the skin barrier, alleviate allergy symptoms, and bring life back to their coat.
The gut-brain axis highlights the direct link between the gut microbiome and your Dog's brain health and function. When dysbiosis sets in, this can impact your Dog's mood, behaviour, their levels of stress and anxiety, and how well they can absorb training.
70% of your Dog's immune cells live in their gut, making their gut microbiome a key part of their overall immune health and function. A rich and balanced gut microbiome helps your dog fight off harmful bacteria, infections, and quickly get back on track after illness and antibiotics.
Dr. Bushra, Head of Microbiology
Get to know their gut microbiome, the importance of gut health, and how it impacts them day to day...
Don’t just take our word for it!
"With Rodney's tailored Supplement Plan, his skin, reactivity, breath and stools have improved."
"The Gut Health Test felt like a lifeline. We now truly understand what Lenny’s body needs."
"Pooch & Mutt's Gut Health Test was easy. Using Malfy's tailored supplement plan, his itching has stopped!"
"After starting a Gut Health Supplement plan in mid-May 2024, Benson's remained seizure-free!"
Every dog’s microbiome is unique, and it plays a vital role in digestion, immunity, skin health, energy levels, and even behaviour. This test gives you a clear picture of what’s happening inside your dog’s gut.
For some dogs, restoring the microbiome can lead to noticeable improvements right away. For others, it helps rule out gut health as the issue, so you can focus on finding the real cause of any symptoms. Either way, it takes the guesswork out and gives you evidence-based answers to guide you on what to do next.
Our recommendations are based on scientific evidence and tailored to your dog’s unique microbiome results. We only suggest supplements and dietary changes that are proven to support gut health, whether that’s improving digestion, strengthening immunity, or helping your dog feel and function at their best.
Probiotics, by definition, are live bacteria that have a known benefit to the host. This means the supplements we recommend contain carefully selected, science-backed strains that positively impact your dog’s gut health.
Some dogs may benefit from a simple diet adjustment, while others need a more tailored plan involving dietary changes, targeted supplements, and professional guidance from a vet, behaviourist, or nutritionist. Without testing, it’s difficult to know which approach is right.
Even small imbalances in the gut can lead to bigger issues over time. By following the targeted support we recommend, you’re using data-driven, personalised care — not guesswork. It’s the most effective way to help your dog’s gut recover and stay healthy long term.
Our approach is based on a carefully designed, staged 6-month supplement plan aimed at modulating your dog’s microbiome for lasting benefits. While any probiotic can offer short-term advantages, those benefits tend to be temporary if the gut environment isn’t optimised to support the probiotic bacteria long term. In other words, without modulating the microbiome, probiotic strains remain transient visitors rather than becoming stable residents.
By using a combination of supplements and interventions every 8 weeks over 6 months, we help create a gut environment that supports lasting positive changes in your dog’s microbiome.
That said, many factors like illness, stress, diet changes, or medications can affect the microbiome. Continuing with a maintenance phase (Phase 3) helps ensure your dog’s gut remains balanced and resilient against future challenges.
No, you're under no obligation whatsoever - however we do strongly recommend them so your dog can reap the benefits. Different dogs need different levels of support, and everything we recommend is tailored on the back of their Gut Health Test results. We do offer flexible plans and options on our products, to make them accessible to everybody.
Scoop, seal, send. After your dog poops, use the scoop included to collect a bean-sized sample, seal the tube, complete your Activation Quiz and pop it in the post using our pre-paid envelope. It should only add about 30 seconds to your usual morning dog routine.
Most customers notice visible changes in their dogs (such as improved digestion, firmer stools, or better mood) within 3 to 4 weeks. Changes in the microbiome itself typically become measurable from around 6 weeks, so we recommend sticking with the plan for at least this amount of time to give the gut time to rebalance properly.
Gut microbiome testing is beneficial at any life stage, and each age group has its own reasons for testing.
- Puppies: The early months are a crucial window for immune and gut development. Testing a puppy’s microbiome can help ensure they’re off to the best possible start, especially if they’ve had antibiotics, an upset tummy, or difficulty adjusting to new foods. Early intervention helps lay the foundation for long-term health.
- Adult dogs: From around 2 years of age, microbiome diversity naturally begins to decline. Testing in adulthood allows you to optimise your dog’s diet and support their microbiome at a time when it’s no longer adapting and diversifying as rapidly. It’s particularly useful if there are concerns around digestion, allergies, energy levels, or stool quality.
- Senior dogs: In older dogs, reduced microbiome diversity is associated with issues like poor immune resilience, lower energy, and changes in digestion and metabolism. Testing allows for proactive health support as your dog ages, helping to target interventions that maintain quality of life, such as joint support, energy balance, and better nutrient absorption.
Whatever your dog’s age, microbiome testing is a powerful tool if you’re unsure whether their current diet is optimal, or if you’re noticing subtle signs of digestive imbalance.
No. These tests analyse the bacterial composition of the gut microbiome, not parasites (a different type of organism). If you suspect a parasitic infection, it’s important to consult your vet. That said, both current and past parasite infections can disrupt the gut ecosystem and can lead to lasting microbial imbalances. Our Gut Health Test can help identify and address that imbalance through microbiome support.
The quiz is based on general trends in our data, whereas the test shows what’s happening inside your dog. For personalised care, a Gut Health Test is essential!
