Wellness

Wellness

Wellness covers stressors in the animal’s environment and its effect on health (external, internal, and emotional). For example, external toxins, such as pesticides, herbicides, chlorine bleach, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other indoor/outdoor chemicals that affect the mammalian or microbial health of the organism. Wellness also includes internal stressors, such as antibiotics, neurotoxic flea and tick medication, or a multitude of ingested drugs and chemicals that have a negative impact on the animal. Finally, we have emotional stressors. We know that a severe stress event can mimic the damage to the microbiome similar to a full course of antibiotics. This can include training styles that flood the animal or creates an environment of extreme stress.