Participants will learn about the gut microbiome in animals, with a focus on the canine microbiome.  This course includes the concept and definition of dysbiosis, the difference between methodologies used to study the microbiome, and key bacteria present in healthy dogs. This includes looking at how the gut microbiome changes over a dog’s lifetime and external factors that may cause these changes.  In addition, the presenter will discuss the meaning of microbiome diversity, and why diversity is important.