This episode of VETchat by The Webinar Vet is hosted by Suzanne Jarvis, editor-in-chief of Vet Record. It is part of Vet Record’s series exploring the role of the microbiome in companion animal health and disease, sponsored by Protexin Veterinary. Joining Suzanne are Holger Volk, Head of the Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, and Sára Sándor, a geneticist at Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest. Holger is particularly interested in neurological diseases such as epilepsy and how the gut-brain axis influences these, while Sára’s work focuses on the genetics of cognition and animal behaviour and how this relates to the microbiome.

In this episode, they discuss how the microbiome can affect cognition and behaviour in cats and dogs and how that relationship changes as an animal ages. They also consider the link between the gut microbiome and epilepsy and whether dietary interventions can benefit affected animals. Finally, they look at the likely direction of future research on the gut microbiome-brain axis and how this research may help improve the health and welfare of cats and dogs.

Protexin Veterinary is dedicated to producing innovative, research-based products of the highest quality, providing a complete range of products for the veterinary market. Leading products in the range include Pro-Kolin Advanced, Denamarin, Pro-Fibre Advanced, Cobalaplex and recently launched SereniCare calming product for dogs and cats.