Monday, June 17, 2019

As Promised: Results from NomNomNow INSIGHTS: A Microbiome Testing Kit

Back on April 15th, 2019 we blogged about the new INSIGHTS Microbiome testing kit from NomNomNow. I promised that when we had the results we would feature them. We received the results a week or so ago and here you go! I will say they are beyond detailed, so much so that my feeble mind doesn't understand them. Maybe some of you who are much brighter than me can help me to decipher them? To see Cody's complete results click here.  NomNomNow has sponsored this post with product and monetary compensation, but all opinions are my own, read important disclaimers throughout this blog post.

Insights

Microbiome report

Cody

12 years old
11 lbs
The gut microbiome is the genetic material of microbes in your cat’s intestinal tract, and it contains an incredible variety of bacteria. The specific types and amounts that colonize your cat’s gut are affected by many factors, like diet, genetics, and environment. This means every pet has a unique gut microbiome!
Cody's
Composition
15
out of
17
scores are within the average range
Cody's
Diversity
0
out of
3
scores are within the average range

Summary

Diversity and composition

  • Various factors impact the composition of the microbiome; however, diet is a major component and the most easily controlled1, 2.
  • A higher diversity of gut microbes has been associated with better health in humans 3. Increasing diversity in a cat’s gut microbiome may be accomplished by feeding your cat a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrate4.
  • Fiber that acts as a prebiotic (fructo-oligosaccharide) helps increase overall bacterial counts and species of Lactobacillus and Bacteroides while reducing levels of E. coli5.
  • Be sure to include fiber in your cat’s diet, as current studies indicate it is beneficial6. Small amounts of vegetables like those found in NomNomNow will provide this food for intestinal bacteria.
  • In studies of human populations, a diet that varies by seasonal availability of foods has been associated with increased diversity of gut microbes7–9, so periodically rotating diets may help increase diversity.
  • Exercise may also help increase diversity in gut microbes10.

Gut Issues

  • Gut problems, particularly diarrhea, may be improved by providing a prebiotic, probiotic, or synbiotic (a mix of probiotics and prebiotics) to promote growth of beneficial bacteria5,11,12.

Meet the bacteria living in Cody’s gut

The bacteria listed below are regularly found in feline microbiomes, so we’ve provided some information to help you learn a bit about them. The bacteria are listed by their biological organization, known as their taxonomic grouping (e.g. phylum, family, or, the most specific, genus.) You can find a description of these groupings here.
Understanding of the functions of these groups as well as how to group them is a cutting-edge research field and is rapidly evolving, so we discuss the bacteria to the best-described level of organization available.
Where are these bacteria found? The digestive tract is composed of a variety of distinct regions from the stomach to the colon, each of which contains signature communities of bacteria that perform various tasks. The majority of bacteria in the digestive tract reside in the colon. These bacteria are more heavily represented in feces, although bacteria from other locations are also observed.
There is much more to Cody's report but I couldn't fit it all on the blog. If you want to read it and wish to help me decipher it  CLICK HERE )


15 comments:

  1. Wow, that is a LOT of information!

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  2. That is complicated! A lot of info but they need to put it so that it can be more easily understood.

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  3. That seems like useful information. Us humans should take that test. The test says that Cody has an abundance of Escherichia, which is e-coli, but doesn't mention anything else about it so I don't know if that is bad or not. Perhaps his vet should know that.

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    1. thanks for the translation. Cody seems fine so I am not going to worry about it. He had blood work done at the Vet in June, all was fine, not going to do anything with it. But thank you!

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    2. I'm glad he is doing well. Chris is younger but is starting to have age related problems. His ears are bothering him again and recently he developed a slight limp. He's going to the vet of Friday.

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    3. oh no poor Chris!!!! Praying he is ok!!!!!

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  4. Wow, that's way cool. Good stuff to know too.

    Have a purrfect day, Cody. My best to your wonderful mom. ♥

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  5. I'm right they with you, it sure all sounds confusing to me!

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  6. I don't know that I agree with feeding more fiber. While cats may ingest tiny amounts in prey's stomachs, they wouldn't get much more than that.

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  7. Cody, how embarrassing! She posts all about your innards on the interwebs! Poor Cody...
    *teehee*

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  8. That does sound confusing, but there is more info than the Basepaws DNA test we did on Millie.

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  9. Lots of information to absorb. Glad he's within range.
    Have a great evening:)

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  10. As if there isn't enough to consider when taking care of cats already!

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  11. Wow, that definitely is a lot of info! I'm not sure I could interpret that either.

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  12. That was way too scientific for me!! LOL...sorry I couldn't be any help!

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