Unraveling the mysteries inside your dog’s gut

Did you know that there are more bacteria on earth than there are stars in the skies? Just like the universe, we still don’t even know the vast majority of these bacteria. Research estimates that there are close to 1 trillion different bacterial species, but only one-thousandth of 1 percent (that’s 0.001%) of them have been identified!

We know that the bacteria and other microorganisms living in the gut, collectively known as the gut microbiome, play a significant role in the health of the body, and probably even influence our behavior. Microbiome research is on the cutting edge of science today, and much remains for us to understand.

Some beneficial bacteria have been recognized and their effects on dogs have been studied. Yet there is still a lot we don’t know about how many specific species of bacteria interact in a dog’s gut and impact their well-being. Each dog is unique, and has a unique collection of gut bacteria. In fact, in every poop sample our team at Stay analyzes, we find unrecognized bacterial species! One of our goals is to understand what these mysterious bacteria do, and how they impact your dog.

The powers of AI and citizen scientists like yourself, who send in poop samples, help us tackle this mystery. When a new species appears in more than one dog, we can start deciphering their roles in the gut. With more samples we learn more about the bacteria, like what they eat and how they impact a dog’s day-to-day life. With that evidence, we can better tailor each dog’s food to meet their personal needs and improve their well-being.

The members’ journey at Stay offers more than healthy nutrition for your dog and their beneficial gut bacteria. Together we can lead scientific discoveries to understand how new species of bacteria impact the health and well-being of your dog and dogs all over the world.