Meet your dog’s gut bacteria: Firmicutes

This is one of the top three most common phyla in your dog’s gut, together with Fusobacteria and Bacteroidetes. These tough little things can be found in many environments and have outstanding survival skills.

Firmicutes, means “thick skin” in Latin and refers to the firm cell walls of many types of bacteria in this group. Some of those bacteria can transform into a dormant and tough state, when they lack nutrients and water, and survive for thousands or even millions of years.

Some members of this phylum are known pathogens, such as Streptococcus, which is responsible for strep throat. Others are responsible for wine and beer going bad.

Some of those bacteria can transform into a dormant and tough state, when they lack nutrients and water, and survive for thousands or even millions of years. Some members of this phylum are known pathogens, such as Streptococcus, which is responsible for strep throat. Others are responsible for wine and beer going bad.

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Fast Facts:

• Many Firmicutes bacteria play an important role in the dogs’ gut by breaking down carbohydrates that can’t be digested by the body’s enzymes, such as dietary fiber and resistant starch. The byproducts of this process are molecules crucial for the dogs’ health.
• Dogs with different types of gut disease tend to have low levels of bacteria from this phylum in their gut.
• Research shows Firmicutes bacteria are also important to human health.

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Fiber-rich diet supports a diverse population of Firmicutes in your dog’s gut. Stay’s unique recipes are rich in a variety of digestible proteins, dietary fibers, and other nutrients specially designed to feed the different beneficial bacteria in your dog’s gut and sustain a healthy balance between the five common phyla.

Our biofeedback process and seasonal microbiome checks allow us to understand how nutrition is impacting this delicate balance, as well as specific important bacteria in each phylum, and make sure your dog’s food is meeting the needs of the beneficial bacteria in their gut.