Gut Health Testing for Every Dog, from Vets to Pets

August 11, 2025 • 4 min read

Bushra Schuitemaker

Lead Microbiologist

We’re excited to announce that the Pooch & Mutt Gut Health Test is now live, bringing accessible, science-backed microbiome testing directly to dog owners. Powered by BIOME9’s technology and research, this new at-home offering supports personalised nutrition through reliable gut health insights, and targeted supplement plans.

While the Gut Health Test is designed for at-home use by pet parents, BIOME9’s GutDiscovery® test remains the gold standard for veterinary professionals and researchers - to access high-resolution data for clinical, behavioural, and nutritional applications.

Together, these two offerings work in harmony, ensuring that all dogs, from the couch to the clinic, can benefit from a better understanding of their gut microbiome.

BIOME9 GutDiscovery® vs. Pooch & Mutt Gut Health Test: Understanding the Differences for Veterinary Professionals

The canine gut microbiome is a complex ecosystem influencing health, immunity, digestion, and behaviour. As veterinary professionals, making informed decisions about diagnosis, treatment, and nutritional advice increasingly depends on accurate and detailed microbiome analysis.

At BIOME9, we’re proud to offer cutting-edge microbiome testing designed to meet the needs of professionals and large-scale research projects - while Pooch & Mutt provide accessible, consumer-focused testing to support general nutritional guidance, utilising the same science-backed supplement plans.

The Evolution of Microbiome Testing in Veterinary Practices

BIOME9’s GutDiscovery® test represents the forefront of microbiome science. It uses full-length 16S rRNA long-read sequencing (Oxford Nanopore platform) to deliver species-level resolution and detailed pathogen detection. This high taxonomic precision allows vets, nutritionists, and behaviourists to gain deeper insights into the microbial communities affecting a dog’s health, insights that are critical for making clinical, nutritional, and behavioural decisions that truly target underlying issues.

In contrast, Pooch & Mutt’s Gut Health Test, powered by BIOME9 technology, employs short-read 16S sequencing focusing on the V4 region (Illumina NovaSeq platform). This approach offers broader coverage and greater read counts, making it highly sensitive and effective for general profiling and dietary recommendations. While it provides genus-level resolution and validated health scores consistent with BIOME9 standards, it lacks the finer species-level detail necessary for complex clinical cases.

Why BIOME9 GutDiscovery® Is Essential for Professionals

Species-Level Identification and Pathogen Detection: GutDiscovery’s long-read sequencing enables precise differentiation between closely related bacterial species, including potentially pathogenic strains. This level of detail is essential when diagnosing dysbiosis, infections, or chronic gut conditions.
In-Depth Functional and Health Insights: Beyond taxonomy, GutDiscovery analyses microbial diversity, richness, balance, resilience, and provides comprehensive health indicators, including immune, digestive, and metabolic function scores, to inform personalised interventions.
Clinical and Nutritional Decision Support: The detailed microbiome profile helps vets and nutritionists tailor treatment plans, supplements, and dietary strategies that address specific microbial imbalances or deficiencies. This targeted approach can support management of inflammatory bowel disease, behavioural issues linked to the gut-brain axis, and other complex health challenges.
Insurance Recognition: Increasingly, pet insurers are covering GutDiscovery® tests when recommended by veterinary professionals, recognising its value in providing actionable insights that improve patient outcomes.

Pooch & Mutt Gut Health Test: A Great Tool for General Nutritional Guidance

Pooch & Mutt’s Gut Health Test is designed for ease of use and accessibility, making it ideal for pet owners seeking general gut health insights and nutritional recommendations. Its genus-level analysis delivers a reliable overview of the core microbiome, health scores, and recommended supplement plans, based on validated standards derived from BIOME9’s extensive database of over 1,400 dogs.

This approach works well for guiding dietary choices and routine supplementation, but doesn’t provide the species-level resolution or pathogen detection necessary for clinical diagnostics or detailed behavioural investigations.

Comparative Overview

Feature	BIOME9 GutDiscovery®	Pooch & Mutt Gut Health Check
Sequencing Platform	Oxford Nanopore (long-read)	Illumina NovaSeq (short-read)
16S rRNA Region	V1–V9 (full-length)	V4 (middle region)
Taxonomic Resolution	Species-level and above	Genus-level and above
Reads per Sample	20,000 – 40,000	100,000 – 200,000
Turnaround Time	~14 days	~4 weeks
Pathogen Analysis	Yes	No
Health Indicators	Immune, digestive, and metabolic function	Immune, digestive, and metabolic function
Clinical/Nutritional Use	In-depth complimentary diagnostics and nutritional advice	General nutrition and personalised supplement plans
Insurance Coverage	Increasingly accepted with vet recommendation	Not typically covered

Collaborative Advancement

At BIOME9, we’re committed to advancing veterinary microbiome science through professional services, bespoke health plans, and large-scale research projects that benefit the whole community.

By partnering with Pooch & Mutt to provide accessible consumer testing, we ensure that individual dog owners can make informed decisions about their pet's nutrition. At the same time, vets and professionals have access to the highest-resolution tools needed for complex cases.

This dual approach strengthens the entire ecosystem of gut health from everyday dietary support, to precision veterinary care.

In Summary

For veterinary professionals seeking detailed microbiome data to guide diagnosis, treatment, and advanced nutritional or behavioural strategies, BIOME9’s GutDiscovery® test is the gold standard.

For pet owners looking for reliable general gut health insights and food advice, Pooch & Mutt’s Gut Health Test is a trusted and accessible option.

If you’d like to learn more about integrating GutDiscovery® into your practice or research, please get in touch with Vets@BIOME9.com.

Frequently asked questions

The microbiome is the name given to the collection of microbes, mostly bacteria, but also fungi and protozoa, that exist within your dog’s gut. It is a diverse and complex microbial community which can directly affect health and wellbeing. We know that 90% of a human’s body cells are microbes, with only 10% being human cells – it’s just that human cells are markedly larger than the microbes. It’s similar for our four-legged friends. Testing the microbiome gives us an idea of exactly which bacteria are present in your dog’s gut and this can help indicate existing or future health problems.
A healthy diversity within the microbiome has been found to be an accurate indicator of overall health and wellbeing. If your dog appears healthy, but has an imbalance in their microbiome, then this could be an indicator of a potential future health issue. If your dog has any existing health complaints, then improving the health of their microbiome can help to improve immune system health and overall wellbeing, as well as improving disease symptoms.
Testing and treatment have the potential to help with a whole range of different health complaints. The immune system is very closely associated with the gut, so any imbalance in the microbiome can influence immune system health, overall vitality and wellbeing. Our supplement recommendations are also tailored to your individual dog, with specific ranges designed to help with gastrointestinal inflammation, joint problems, allergies and skin complaints, to name a few.
All you need to do is order a kit online and fill in our questionnaire about your dog and their general health. We will then send the kit out to you by post. You then just need to collect a sample and return it to us, again by post. Once the test is performed, we will email the results directly to you.
You do not need to get your vet’s permission to test, or talk to them about performing the test beforehand. We do recommend that you pass on a copy of your test results to your regular vets, as it may help them in understanding your pet’s current health, and any future complaints they may have.