AnimalBiome
Tried the food, probiotics and supplements — and your dog's gut is still a mess?
This is where AnimalBiome becomes interesting to me.
Instead of continuing to guess which probiotic your dog needs, AnimalBiome can actually analyze the bacterial community living in the gut.
Their current dog products include microbiome testing, oral fecal microbiota transplant capsules, targeted probiotics, maintenance products and newer gut-and-skin support.
But the test itself is not the entire answer.
Data tells us what is happening in the microbiome. We still have to decide why it happened — and what to change for this dog.
Testing is useful when it changes what we do. I don't want you buying an expensive microbiome report just to admire the charts.
This goes well beyond another bottle of Lactobacillus.
The gut microbiome is an ecosystem. When that ecosystem is badly disrupted, adding a few probiotic strains may not restore everything that has been lost.
Dog-specific testing
The Gut Microbiome Test compares your dog's bacterial populations with bacterial groups found in healthy dogs.
DNA sequencing
AnimalBiome currently says its test can identify more than 5,000 types of bacteria from a stool sample.
Specific bacterial data
The report looks for both beneficial groups and potentially problematic bacterial overgrowths.
Whole-community restoration
Gut Restore uses species-specific donor microbiota rather than only a handful of laboratory probiotic strains.
Research driven
AnimalBiome conducts and publishes companion-animal microbiome research and maintains a large pet microbiome database.
Test → intervene → retest
When useful, we can establish a baseline, make changes and see whether the bacterial ecosystem actually moved.
AnimalBiome Gut Microbiome Test for Dogs
This is the product I am most likely to consider when the dog's gut case has become chronic, confusing or resistant to the obvious changes.
Gut Microbiome Test for Dogs
You collect a small stool sample at home and mail it to AnimalBiome.
The laboratory uses DNA sequencing and bioinformatics to identify the bacterial populations present in the sample.
The current report can help show:
- bacterial diversity;
- missing or underrepresented beneficial groups;
- bacterial overgrowths;
- potentially harmful bacteria;
- how your dog's microbiome compares with healthy dogs; and
- diet and supplement recommendations based on the findings.
AnimalBiome currently includes a 15-minute consultation with one of its Microbiome Health Advisors to review the report.
Dana's Take: That is useful for understanding the report.
My role is different.
I want to combine that report with your dog's:
- food;
- protein and fat tolerance;
- medication and antibiotic history;
- pancreatic and GI history;
- skin and allergy symptoms;
- supplements;
- labs when relevant; and
- the actual pattern of what keeps happening.
This is a bacterial microbiome test — not a magic stool test for everything.
AnimalBiome is very clear about this, and I think we should be too.
It does not diagnose food allergies
The test analyzes gut bacteria. It does not tell us whether your dog is allergic or intolerant to chicken, beef, lamb, rice or another food.
It does not test for parasites
Giardia, hookworms, roundworms and other parasites are not what this bacterial microbiome test is designed to detect.
It does not diagnose IBD
Dysbiosis may occur alongside chronic enteropathy or inflammatory GI disease, but the microbiome result is not itself a complete medical diagnosis.
It does not explain every cause
Pancreatic disease, food intolerance, fat intolerance, medications, parasites and other problems may still be driving the symptoms.
That is exactly why I like the test as one piece of information — not as the entire health plan.
AnimalBiome Gut Restore
Gut Restore is not a conventional probiotic.
It is an oral fecal microbiota transplant — FMT — in a delayed-release capsule.
Gut Restore for Dogs
Gut Restore contains extensively screened fecal material from healthy canine donors.
Rather than providing five or ten probiotic strains, it introduces a much broader community of dog-specific microorganisms into the gut.
AnimalBiome offers different capsule sizes based on the dog's weight.
Important: these delayed-release capsules should be given whole. Do not open or crush them.
The coating is designed to protect the microbes through the stomach so the capsule opens farther down the GI tract.
Gut Restore From Raw-Fed Dogs
AnimalBiome also currently sells a version sourced from carefully screened donor dogs eating nutritionally balanced raw diets.
Dana's Take: I appreciate that this option exists.
I would still choose it because it fits the dog and our restoration goal — not simply because the word “raw” is automatically better.
FMT quality depends heavily on donor screening.
Fecal microbiota transplant is not:
“My neighbor's dog has great poop, so I'll use that.”
Donor stool can carry parasites, pathogens and undesirable microbial populations.
AnimalBiome says its donors undergo health evaluation, microbiome testing, pathogen and parasite screening, and ongoing monitoring before material is accepted for its stool bank.
The company reports that only about 7% of potential donors are accepted.
That screening process is a large part of what you're paying for.
Gut Rebuild for Dogs
This newer AnimalBiome product fills a useful space between everyday maintenance and full FMT.
Gut Rebuild
Gut Rebuild currently combines:
- Peptacetobacter hiranonis AB500;
- Saccharomyces boulardii; and
- PreforPro® bacteriophages.
P. hiranonis is considered an important keystone species in the canine gut microbiome because of its role in bile-acid metabolism and the gut environment.
AnimalBiome currently positions Gut Rebuild for mild to moderate digestive symptoms, microbiome disruption after medications and aging dogs who may be missing this critical organism.
Dana's Take: This product is especially interesting because it lets us target an important dog-native bacterial species without immediately jumping to full FMT.
Gut Rebuild has also been evaluated in double-blind, placebo-controlled canine studies according to AnimalBiome.
S. boulardii + FOS
AnimalBiome currently sells a pet-specific Saccharomyces boulardii + FOS powder for dogs and cats.
Each scoop currently contains:
6.6 billion CFU S. boulardii + 225 mg GOFOS®
S. boulardii is a beneficial yeast rather than a bacterial probiotic.
That makes it particularly interesting during and after antibiotic use because antibacterial medications do not target yeast in the same way they target bacterial probiotic organisms.
Dana's Take: This is one of the gut tools I like having available for loose stool and antibiotic-related digestive disruption.
It still doesn't tell us why the dog needs diarrhea support repeatedly.
Gut Maintain for Dogs
Gut Maintain is intended more for ongoing microbiome maintenance and occasional soft stool than major restoration.
The current formula combines:
S. boulardii
Probiotic yeast to support digestive balance and stool consistency.
FOS
Prebiotic fiber that provides substrate for beneficial gut bacteria.
PreforPro® Phages
A bacteriophage blend designed to target selected undesirable bacterial populations, including certain E. coli.
AnimalBiome itself distinguishes Gut Maintain from Gut Restore:
Maintain = support a relatively stable gut.
Restore = rebuild a significantly disrupted microbial community.
Skin Rescue
AnimalBiome has now expanded beyond poop.
Its newer Skin Rescue formula is designed for itchy dogs and cats and includes:
EpiCor® fermentate
A yeast-derived postbiotic used around immune and skin-barrier support.
Quercetin
A flavonoid I already use frequently in allergy and histamine-support conversations.
Mushroom blend
Includes Reishi, Cordyceps, Turkey Tail, Lion's Mane, Chaga, Maitake, Shiitake and King Oyster.
Marshmallow root
Adds soothing mucosal and gut-supportive herbal components.
Marine phytoplankton
Provides additional nutrient and antioxidant support.
Zinc
An important nutrient for skin integrity, immune function and tissue health.
AnimalBiome reports that more than 85% of pets in its Skin Rescue study showed improvement in itch-related symptoms, although outcomes differed between moderate and severe cases.
Dana's Take: I find the gut-skin data interesting.
But an itchy dog still deserves a real allergy investigation.
I don't want:
“The microbiome is involved”
to turn into:
“Therefore food, yeast, environmental allergies and everything else no longer matter.”
This is where AnimalBiome can become confusing.
And yes — sometimes more than one may belong in a plan.
That does not mean:
Test + Restore + Rebuild + Maintain + S. boulardii + Skin Rescue all start on Tuesday.
If we restore the gut and keep feeding the same problem, what did we accomplish?
AnimalBiome can introduce missing organisms.
Then we have to create an environment where the healthier microbial community has a reason to stay.
Food affects that environment every single day.
Protein
Digestibility and food tolerance affect the material reaching the lower GI tract.
Fiber
Different fermentable fibers feed different microbial communities.
Fat
Fat tolerance and bile-acid metabolism can dramatically change stool and gut symptoms.
Fresh food
The nutritional environment produced by fresh food can differ from an ultra-processed repetitive diet.
Fermented foods
When appropriate and tolerated, fermented foods may add useful microbial and metabolic diversity.
Variety
Greater dietary diversity can provide a wider range of substrates for the microbial ecosystem when the dog tolerates rotation.
Sometimes changing the food is one of the biggest microbiome interventions we make.
This is one of the situations where AnimalBiome can be especially useful.
Antibiotics sometimes save lives.
They can also substantially alter the bacterial microbiome.
This becomes particularly relevant after repeated courses of:
- metronidazole;
- tylosin;
- broad-spectrum antibiotics;
- repeated treatment for GI flare-ups; or
- other medication histories associated with chronic dysbiosis.
AnimalBiome specifically notes that the important canine bacterium P. hiranonis may be depleted after some antibiotic use, which is one reason it developed Gut Rebuild.
That gives us a much more precise conversation than:
“Antibiotics are over, give a probiotic.”
I don't want to spend year three rotating probiotics.
If the dog keeps cycling through:
diarrhea → antibiotic → improvement → relapse → food change → probiotic → improvement → relapse
we may need better information.
This is the part that should lead to action — not another Google rabbit hole.
AnimalBiome gives you useful recommendations with the report.
But your dog's bacterial chart doesn't know:
Your dog's complete diet
What food, protein, fat, fiber, treats and toppers are actually being eaten?
Your dog's full supplement stack
Are we already using probiotics, prebiotics, fermented foods, digestive enzymes or several overlapping gut products?
Your dog's medical history
Pancreatitis, EPI, IBD, allergies and endocrine problems all change how I interpret symptoms.
Your dog's medications
Antibiotics, steroids, acid suppressors and other medications may all affect the GI picture.
That's where I can help connect the microbiome report to the rest of the dog.
The microbiome is one piece of a bigger digestive system.
You can purchase AnimalBiome through my referral link.
If you already know you want the microbiome test, Gut Restore or another AnimalBiome product, you can order directly.
AnimalBiome frequently runs its own promotions, so check the current price rather than relying on an old discount amount from a blog page.
If the dog has had years of GI problems and you're not sure whether to:
test first,
start FMT,
use Gut Rebuild,
change food,
add S. boulardii,
or investigate something else entirely —
that's where I would talk first and buy second.
AnimalBiome for dogs
What does the AnimalBiome Gut Microbiome Test for Dogs do?
It uses DNA sequencing to identify bacterial groups in your dog's stool, detect microbial imbalances and potentially harmful bacterial overgrowths, compare the microbiome with healthy dogs and provide personalized diet and supplement recommendations.
How many bacteria can the AnimalBiome test detect?
AnimalBiome currently states that its dog microbiome test can detect more than 5,000 types of bacteria from the stool sample.
Does the AnimalBiome test show food allergies?
No. The Gut Microbiome Test analyzes bacterial populations. It does not identify food allergies or food intolerances.
Does AnimalBiome test for Giardia or worms?
No. The microbiome test focuses on bacteria and does not test for parasites such as Giardia, hookworms or roundworms.
How long do AnimalBiome results take?
AnimalBiome currently says most reports are completed approximately two weeks after the laboratory receives the sample.
What is AnimalBiome Gut Restore?
Gut Restore is an oral fecal microbiota transplant in a delayed-release capsule. It contains extensively screened canine donor microbiota and is designed to introduce a diverse community of dog-specific microorganisms.
Can I open AnimalBiome Gut Restore capsules?
No. AnimalBiome currently says Gut Restore capsules should be given whole and should not be opened or crushed because the delayed-release coating protects the donor microbes until the capsule reaches the intestines.
Does AnimalBiome have Gut Restore from raw-fed dogs?
Yes. AnimalBiome currently offers a Gut Restore product made from extensively screened donor dogs eating a nutritionally balanced raw diet.
What is AnimalBiome Gut Rebuild?
Gut Rebuild is a newer precision probiotic for dogs containing Peptacetobacter hiranonis AB500, Saccharomyces boulardii and bacteriophages. AnimalBiome positions it between basic maintenance support and full microbiome restoration with Gut Restore.
What is AnimalBiome Gut Maintain?
Gut Maintain is intended for ongoing microbiome support and occasional soft stool. It currently combines S. boulardii, FOS prebiotic fiber and a bacteriophage blend.
Does AnimalBiome sell S. boulardii for dogs?
Yes. AnimalBiome currently offers an S. boulardii + FOS powder for dogs and cats. Each scoop contains 6.6 billion CFU of S. boulardii and 225 mg of GOFOS prebiotic fiber.
What is AnimalBiome Skin Rescue?
Skin Rescue is a newer gut-skin and allergy-support product for dogs and cats containing EpiCor fermentate, marshmallow root, a mushroom blend, quercetin, marine phytoplankton and zinc.
Should I test my dog before using Gut Restore?
Testing can be particularly useful when you want to identify specific bacterial imbalances, establish a baseline or track changes. Gut Restore is also sold as a standalone product, so whether testing should come first depends on the dog's symptoms, history and the reason microbiome restoration is being considered.
Can Dana help interpret my dog's AnimalBiome report?
Yes. I can help look at the microbiome findings alongside the dog's diet, GI history, medications, supplements, allergies, fat tolerance, pancreatic health and other factors to decide what the results mean for the larger plan.
AnimalBiome can give us better data. Then we still have to build the plan.
If your dog simply needs a microbiome test or you already know which AnimalBiome product you want, order it.
If your dog has been living through years of:
diarrhea, itching, antibiotics, probiotics, food changes, pancreatitis, yeast, steroids, FMT, another probiotic, and still no stable answer —
that's when the report needs to become part of a real whole-dog plan.
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Testing Disclaimer: The AnimalBiome Gut Microbiome Test evaluates the bacterial microbiome. It is not a food-allergy test, parasite test or complete diagnostic GI panel. Testing should be interpreted alongside the dog's symptoms, diet, health history and appropriate veterinary diagnostics.
Medical Disclaimer: Dana Brigman is not a veterinarian. Information on The Well Oiled K9 is educational and supportive in nature and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease or replace veterinary diagnosis, medications, laboratory testing or emergency care. Persistent vomiting, significant diarrhea, weight loss, dehydration, blood in the stool, abdominal pain or major changes in appetite or behavior deserve appropriate veterinary evaluation.