AnimalBiome Gut Microbiome Test Review (2026): Is It Worth It?

Last Updated on August 28, 2026 by Kieran Beckles

Are you considering the AnimalBiome Gut Microbiome Test but unsure whether it’s worth investing over $100? After another Alaskan Klee Kai owner recommended it to me, I finally decided to try it.

If you’re familiar with Life With Klee Kai, you may know Skye is a picky eater who has struggled with digestive issues in the past. We’ve had good success with her fussiness since we switched to raw dog food. But I still want clear answers about what was happening inside her gut.

The AnimalBiome Gut Microbiome Test is a great choice if you’ve got a dog who has struggled with recurring digestive issues or you’re interested in receiving a detailed insight into your pup’s gut health. But it won’t answer questions about your dog’s allergies, food intolerances, or parasite testing.

In this AnimalBiome Gut Microbiome Test review, I’ll share my experience. I’ll cover the steps involved, such as purchasing, registering your kit, collecting your sample, sending it off for testing, and receiving the results.

It’s worth noting that AnimalBiome provide Gut Restore supplement, which we’re currently giving to Skye. However, we haven’t finished using it, and once we do, we’ll purchase a fresh kit to see the difference in results.

AnimalBiome Gut Microbiome Test At-A-Glance

What is AnimalBiome and How Does It Work?

The AnimalBiome Gut Health Test is an at-home stool test that enables dog owners to learn more about the bacteria living in their pet’s gut.

It’s a relatively straightforward process that lets pet owners do their own investigative work to learn more about their dog’s digestive health.

AnimalBiome uses DNA sequencing to detect more than 5,000 different types of bacteria that could be living in your dog’s gut, all from your pup’s stool sample.

I’m not an expert, but I did some research into gut health before using the AnimalBiome test on my female Alaskan Klee Kai dog.

Your dog’s gut microbiome is made up of a community of microorganisms, including bacteria, living in your dog’s digestive tract.

AnimalBiome works by identifying the types and relative amounts of bacteria found in your dog’s stool sample.

They’ll compare the sample with data from dogs with healthy gut microbiomes compared to highlight bacteria groups that may be out of balance.

I want to make it clear that this test doesn’t work the same way as a fecal test your veterinarian may order to check for parasites.

It also doesn’t inform pet parents whether their four-legged friend has a food allergy or intolerance.

The At-Home Sample Process (Ease of Use)

I found the process of collecting Skye’s sample relatively straightforward compared to some other tests I’ve taken in the past.

The AnimalBiome Gut Microbiome Test contained everything I needed to collect the sample: gloves, sample tubes, swabs, and a wooden stick.

It also contains a return mailer for your completed sample kit, a fecal scoring chart so you get an initial impression from your dog’s stool, and instructions.

Before you collect the sample, it’s a good idea to register your test on AnimalBiome’s website. This took me around five minutes to complete.

I collected Skye’s stool at midday and then I got to work with the wooden stick, swab and sample tubes. Look, it’s not pleasant to be working with dog poop.

But I found it easy to collect because I didn’t have to restrain a dog or anything like that. I didn’t have any issues getting the samples inside the two tubes.

Once I had it done, I placed the sample tubes in the pre-paid envelope, and I dropped it off at my local post office.

I received an email when AnimalBiome received Skye’s sample (27 July), and I received my test results just over a week later (5 August).

What Your Test Report Actually Tells You

When I opened up Skye’s test results, I was relieved to read that Skye didn’t have any harmful bacteria in her gut microbiome. So I wasn’t immediately concerned.

However, AnimalBiome informed me that Skye is missing some common bacteria. There were 10 listed, including Faecalibacterium, Romboutsia, and Catenibacterium.

The report shared that Skye does have elevated levels when it came to two types of bacteria: Fusobacterium and Collinsella. Everything else was in range or marked low.

I was interested to learn that her Fusobacterium level was almost twice the upper end of AnimalBiome’s reference range, while Collinsella was three times the normal range.

AnimalBiome did share that Skye did have healthy bacteria typically found in dogs, including Bacteroides, Blautia, Clostridium hiranonis, and Fusobacterium.

It was an extremely detailed report, but I liked that AnimalBiome laid out the test results in a digestible way, with different sections. It didn’t feel overwhelming to digest.

AnimalBiome had ample explanations for all the bacteria listed, while each section had a useful overview, helping to take dog owners through the process.

Skye’s AnimalBiome Gut Test Results

Recommendations & Next Steps

Once I received Skye’s test results and I had digested the information, I started to think about next steps. I was relieved Skye had no harmful bacteria but I wanted to help her.

Fortunately, AnimalBiome had suggested steps for Skye in her gut health journey. Unsurprisingly, they did push me towards the Gut Restore supplement. I’m in the middle of testing this out, so I can’t provide a full review – yet.

While I’m sure some dog owners will be a little skeptical of a brand pushing dog owners towards their supplement after using their test, they did suggest other steps for Skye. For instance, they recommended adding more fiber to her diet, with forms to try.

Now AnimalBiome does have a Fiber Biome Blend for cats and dogs, which they highlighted, but they did suggest trying other supplements, even mentioning another brand.

I like that the Fiber Biome Blend is in powder format, which makes it easy to sprinkle on my Klee Kai’s raw food. The Gut Restore supplement was trickier. I had to lather it in peanut butter to get Skye to eat it.

As I said earlier, Skye is currently taking the Gut Restore supplement, but I am intrigued to purchase a new Gut Test Kit to retest Skye’s gut biome once we’ve finished with the supplement.

How Much Does the AnimalBiome Gut Health Test Cost?

The AnimalBiome Gut Health Test is priced at $135 on their official website.

It does come with free shipping for most orders over $50, while they have a 90-day money-back guarantee.

At the current time, I can offer my Life With Klee Kai community a discount of 20% off their first order.

AnimalBiome Pros And Cons

Pros

Detailed gut bacteria results

AnimalBiome provides a detailed breakdown of your dog’s gut health. I’ve reviewed a lot of tests over the years; admittedly, they were allergy and intolerance tests. But they lacked the detail of AnimalBiome’s test.

I was really impressed by how much detail was included, although considering the price, you would expect a thorough test.

Every section and every point has a drop-down window where AnimalBiome provides an explanation regarding that particular part of the report. I loved that feature, which made the information more bite-sized.

Sample collection easy

It’s easy to collect a sample – provided you’re not squeamish around dog poop. Unlike other tests where you need hair or saliva, I didn’t need Skye for this test.

I simply collected her stool in a poo bag, got the kit ready with all the components laid out, used the stick to get a sample ready, and then collected with the swab.

It’s great that they include the prepaid label. You don’t need to faff around at the post office. You simply drop it off.

Results easy to understand

AnimalBiome make it easy to understand the different bacterial groups, which were high, low, or missing.

I appreciated how the report was broken up into different sections: report summary, test results, and recommended next steps. Within those broader sections are more subsections.

Everything is explained. I did use AI to help put some of the report into more simple language, but it wasn’t really necessary.

Personalized recommendations

Having tested a handful of brands that provide dog allergy and intolerance tests, I expected a lack of personalization with AnimalBiome because that’s what I previously encountered.

When we’ve posted some of these tests, I’ve had feedback from pet owners complaining that the test results lack a personalized approach. With some, it was certainly true.

However, AnimalBiome provided next steps tailored to Skye’s results. I found that genuinely impressive.

Positive experiences

I haven’t finished Skye’s Gut Restore program – yet. So it’s slightly too early to say whether the supplement will help.

But I’ve spoken to another Klee Kai owner who used their Gut Test Kit and Gut Restore Supplement, and he recommended it.

After receiving his Klee Kai’s test results, she followed their recommendations (alongside my recommendation for We Feed Raw).

Six months later, he noticed improved GI symptoms and stools afterward. AnimalBiome also has a daily gut supplement.

AnimalBiome helps pet owners understand reports

Speaking of which, I didn’t need to contact AnimalBiome’s support team; I did read the experiences of other pet owners.

It seems like you can schedule a call to discuss the results and next steps. I think that’s a nice touch. It doesn’t replace a trip to your vet, but it’s useful.

Cons

Price

AnimalBiome’s Gut Test Kit is expensive. It starts at $135, which makes it one of the most expensive tests I’ve ever reviewed.

Having said that, if, like me, you’ve spent a lot of money on different dog food or supplements, you may appreciate having an answer to your gut questions.

Not a replacement for fecal testing

As I mentioned earlier in this article, the AnimalBiome Gut Test Kit is no replacement for a fecal test at your veterinarian.

This is important to consider, especially because this test kit isn’t a substitute for fecal testing, PCR panels, or a veterinary workup.

Retest adds further expense

When you consider that you’ll likely want to purchase a second test once you put your recommendations in action, it quickly gets expensive.

For instance, I’ll want to retest Skye’s stool after I finish her course of the Gut Restore Supplement. I’m extremely intrigued to see if it helps.

Ultimately, you’ll only get a real understanding of the value of the first test (and the supplement if you try it) if you retest.

Recommendations lead to more AnimalBiome products

I mentioned this above, but AnimalBiome does push their products when it comes to their recommendations.

AnimalBiome has their Gut Test Kit, Gut Restore Supplement, Fiber Biome Blend and more. It’s great that you can add all of that to your cart.

But it’s understandable that some pet parents don’t like the heavy-handedness of AnimalBiome suggesting their own products.

Is the AnimalBiome Gut Health Test Worth It?

If you’ve got questions about your dog’s gut health or digestion system, I believe it’s worth it.

I’ve always wondered about Skye’s gut health because she did struggle a lot with digestion issues between 2017 and 2024.

Having said that, we’ve seen Skye flourish since switching to raw dog food from other pet food formats, but my questions lingered.

The experience of one Alaskan Klee Kai owner really stuck with me and convinced me to give AnimalBiome a try.

I found the sample collection process simple. There’s minimal faff getting it collected and in the mail. I had my results in just over a week.

With actionable steps, I’m keeping a close eye on Skye, especially any signs of improvement. I will be purchasing another kit to retest.

It’s expensive at $135, but if you’ve spent thousands of dollars on dog food and emergency vet visits like me, it’s worth the cost for an answer.

Final Verdict

I was happy with my overall experience with the AnimalBiome Gut Health Test.

It was a great way to get a closer look and a better understanding of Skye’s gut microbiome.

The sample was easy to collect, with everything provided in my test kit to get my sample and send it away with minimal fuss.

After years of wondering, I finally discovered that there are some areas where we can improve her gut health.

The results were easy to digest in a detailed report that didn’t overwhelm with too much information but contained ample explanations.

It’s expensive, which is understandably off-putting for some pet parents. If your dog is happy and healthy with good digestion, it may not be worth the cost.

But if your dog is like Skye and you’ve always wondered about their gut health, I believe it’s a worthy investment.