Pooch & Mutt Gut Health test

Pooch & Mutt’s simple, at-home gut health test analyses your dog’s poo sample to gain insights into the health of their gut microbiome, and give personalised recommendations to help your dog thrive.

The Pooch & Mutt Gut Health test is powered by BIOME9, who have the largest canine microbiome dataset in the UK, having tested over 3000 dogs, and are leading the way as the gold-standard for canine health insights.

To get started, head over to Pooch & Mutt and purchase their at home Gut Health Test Kit for your dog.

Simply collect your dog’s poo sample, complete the activation quiz to give more information about your dog, and send it off to the Pooch & Mutt lab using a pre-paid return label.

In 3-4 weeks, you will receive a detailed report which gives science backed insights into your dog’s microbiome. You'll also receive a recommended supplement plan, tailored to your dog’s specific needs, to help restore their gut back to optimal health.

What we analyse:

Alongside your dog’s Invisible Health Score, which is an accumulation of all the different layers of what constitutes your dog’s gut health (lifestyle, diet & gut insights), your detailed report will also delve into:

Community Markers (what bacteria are present, and in what proportions)

Health Indicators (how the bacteria present are supporting wider bodily functions)

Tailored Supplement Plan (pre- pro- and postbiotic recommendations, based on your dog’s results)

Poodle specific crosses information:

Poodle crosses are actually one of the largest breed-type groups in the BIOME9 database, accounting for around 17% of all dogs sampled, second only to Retriever-type dogs.

Across the group, we tend to see a microbiome profile that's rich in species but not always as functionally efficient or resilient as owners might expect. In one recent dataset, the average Poodle cross showed:

231 bacterial species present (richness score is ok/moderate)
Diversity score of 2.74 (okay/moderate)
Resilience score of 34.3/100 (below optimal)
Invisible Health score of 32.1/100 (below optimal)

Functionally, the biggest opportunities were around digestion and energy production (all very poor):

Carbohydrate digestion: 13.2/100
Protein digestion: 13.3/100
Fibre digestion: 14.3/100
Lipid digestion: 11.6/100
Metabolic energy: 6.8/100
Gut fuel production: 9.5/100

What makes this particularly interesting is that richness and diversity is often relatively well maintained, suggesting these dogs aren't necessarily lacking bacteria, but may be lacking the balance and functionality needed to get the most from their diets.

We also frequently see lower-than-ideal scores relating to:

Coat & skin support (21.0/100)
Immune support (29.2/100)
Neurological/behavioural support (24.2/100)

This aligns quite closely with what owners commonly report in breeds such as Cockapoos, Cavapoos and Labradoodles, where skin sensitivities, digestive variability and anxiety-related behaviours are among the most frequently discussed concerns.

Poodle crosses seem to have plenty of microbiome "potential" thanks to reasonable richness and diversity, but can benefit disproportionately from interventions that improve diversity, resilience and microbial energy production. That's likely one reason why we often see noticeable improvements in digestion, stool quality, skin health and overall wellbeing when microbiome support is targeted appropriately.