← Care Hub Microbiome Tracker · v0.1 draft

Gut–Brain Axis · Seizure Relevance

Tracking Theo's microbiome
across interventions.

A focused view of the bacterial markers most relevant to neuroinflammation and seizure mechanisms — and whether the supplements aimed at each are actually moving them.

Samples

Aug 2025 · Jan 2026

Interventions tracked

Green Juju · Adored Beast

Days since last sample

—

Next retest window

May 13

+90d post-AB start

What's moving · what isn't

Aug 2025 → Jan 2026

✓ Improvements

Faecalibacterium recovered from 0.0 → 0.8 (butyrate producer; HDAC anti-seizure mechanism)
Sutterella normalized 5.0 → 0.7
Peptoclostridium normalized 22.4 → 9.6
Likely attributable to Green Juju's dandelion inulin + leafy green fiber

! Persistent gaps

Prevotella_9 stuck at 0.0 — protective taxon per 2025 epilepsy trial
Fusobacterium 32.3 → 49.4 — pro-inflammatory dominance
R. gnavus 0.1 → 4.7 (47× expansion) — mucin degradation, BBB risk
Adored Beast effects not yet measured — started Jan 13, 2026

Trend across samples

Relative abundance · seizure-relevant markers

Protective / SCFA producers

Inflammatory / dysbiotic

Context

| Intervention started

Markers by mechanism

9 tracked · seizure-relevant subset

Intervention timeline

What's targeting what · when

The remaining markers from Theo's Animabiome reports — present in both samples but without documented direct seizure or neuroinflammation relevance. Tracked here for context. Some shifts (Sutterella, Peptoclostridium) reflect the same prebiotic-driven improvements visible in the seizure-relevant set.

✓ Harmful bacteria panel: all values 0.0 / in range across both samples (Clostridium perfringens, Campylobacter, Staph spp., Salmonella, E. coli, C. difficile, Listeria — none detected).

Theo's gut supplement history isn't rotation — it's iterative refinement based on what actually worked. Each entry was a deliberate decision; AB Healthy Gut (since Jan 2026) is the first to produce 100% consistent normal stools.

Total entries

Jul 2023 → Feb 2026

Distinct products

Across 5 brands

Current sustained

~4mo

AB Healthy Gut · since Jan 13 2026

Flagged for safety

Phyto Synergy · stopped

Multi-strain

Soil-based

Gut healing

Detox/liver

Flagged

Date	Product	Category	Note
7/15/23	AB Roots	Detox	Burdock, dandelion, milk thistle — not a probiotic
7/15/23	AB Gut Soothe	Gut heal	Slippery elm, marshmallow, L-glutamine — demulcent blend
7/17/23	Pet Flora	Soil	Bacillus spore probiotic; proven with prior dog
8/11/23	Pet Flora	Soil	Continued
9/4/23	Pet Flora	Soil	Continued
9/17/23	AB Roots	Detox	Recurrence
10/16/23	AB Roots	Detox	Recurrence
11/23/23	AB Gut Soothe	Gut heal	Recurrence — signals ongoing gut sensitivity
5/17/24	Pet Flora	Soil	Recurrence
8/31/24	AB Gut Soothe	Gut heal	Recurrence
11/24/24	Dr. Dobias GutSense	Multi	First multi-strain bacterial probiotic; later discontinued for Theo (older formulation seizure-trigger concern)
12/23/24	AB Gut Soothe	Gut heal	Recurrence
2/25/25	AB Healthy Gut	Multi	First introduction — 14 strains + arabinogalactan + enzymes
2/25/25	AB Roots	Detox	Recurrence
2/25/25	AB Soil & Sea	Soil	Bacillus + sea bacteria
5/11/25	Dr. Dobias GutSense	Multi	Recurrence — concerns later identified
5/29/25	AB Phyto Synergy	Flagged	Cyanobacterial contamination risk class. Stopped. First seizure ~5–6 weeks after addition.
5/29/25	AB Roots	Detox	Recurrence
5/29/25	AB Soil & Sea	Soil	Recurrence
2/18/26	AB Healthy Gut	Multi	Current. Continuous since Jan 13, 2026 — first to produce 100% consistent normal stools.

Phase 1 · 2023

Soil-based foundation

Pet Flora (Bacillus spores) plus AB Roots and Gut Soothe for liver/barrier support. Recurring Gut Soothe use signaled persistent gut sensitivity.

Phase 2 · Late 2024

Multi-strain introduction

Dr. Dobias GutSense added (multi-strain Lactobacillus / Bifidobacterium). Later discontinued for Theo specifically due to ingredients with seizure-trigger concern in older formulation.

Phase 3 · 2025–present

Comprehensive coverage

AB Healthy Gut (14 strains + arabinogalactan + enzymes). First product to produce consistent normal stools. Continuous since Jan 13, 2026.

Trends in this timeline

1. Strain breadth widened progressively — soil-only → multi-strain → 14-strain comprehensive. Mirrors what canine epilepsy probiotic literature recommends.

2. Recurring AB Gut Soothe entries signal persistent gut barrier issues — consistent with R. gnavus expansion later visible in microbiome data.

3. AB Healthy Gut is the first to produce clinical resolution. Combination of strain coverage + arabinogalactan prebiotic + digestive enzymes likely all contribute.

4. Pre-AB-Healthy-Gut period was short, rotational use — no probiotic intervention had a fair 12-week evaluation window before this.

5. Phyto Synergy is the only flagged entry — temporal correlation with seizure onset deserves visibility.

A focused review of two products that warranted deeper scrutiny — one to avoid for an epileptic dog, one that has been reformulated and is now seizure-safe.

Phyto Synergy (Adored Beast)

Avoid · Not re-add

100% marine phytoplankton, proprietary strain blend. Marketed for cellular nutrition and antioxidant support. Initial mechanistic case (inosine, astaxanthin, EPA) looked promising — but the safety side outweighs the potential benefit for a sensitive epileptic dog.

Concern	Flag	Detail
Cyanobacterial contamination	Documented risk	Algal supplements are a documented seizure trigger category. Anatoxin-a, BMAA, and microcystins are produced by cyanobacteria and frequently contaminate spirulina/marine phytoplankton blends. Onset within 60 min of exposure in canine cases.
Proprietary strain blend	Not disclosed	Specific microalgae species not published. If similar to Vital Defense (same brand): contains Spirulina platensis — Spirulina is cyanobacteria. Cross-contamination cannot be ruled out without batch-by-batch testing data.
Land-grown sourcing	Partial mitigation	Reduces heavy metal contamination vs. open-pond/wild harvest. Doesn't eliminate cyanotoxin risk if cyanobacterial strains are part of the proprietary blend.
No third-party cyanotoxin testing claim	Gap	Manufacturer provides heavy metal testing claims but no specific BMAA/anatoxin/microcystin assays disclosed.

⚠ Temporal correlation flag

May 29, 2025

Phyto Synergy added to protocol

July 2025

First logged seizure (~5–6 weeks later)

—

Idiopathic epilepsy onset window is 1–5 years; correlation ≠ causation. Theo was ~2 yrs old.

Multiple variables changed in this window. The timing alone isn't proof of causation, but combined with the mechanistic risk it's enough signal to not re-introduce Phyto Synergy.

Bottom line

Risk-benefit math doesn't support trying again. Algal supplements are a documented seizure-trigger category through cyanotoxin contamination. The proprietary blend prevents direct verification. For an epileptic dog, even theoretical benefits of inosine/astaxanthin don't outweigh the documented risk class.

GutSense (Dr. Peter Dobias)

Reformulated · Now clean

9-strain canine-specific probiotic with fermented herbal prebiotics. Previously contained ingredients flagged as seizure-trigger concerns; current formulation has been simplified and the concerning ingredients removed.

Component	Flag	Detail
Probiotic strains (9)	Safe	L. acidophilus, L. plantarum, L. reuteri, L. rhamnosus, B. bifidum + 4 undisclosed. Multiple overlap with strains relevant to canine epilepsy literature (L. rhamnosus has GABA/vagal data).
Dandelion (root/leaf)	Safe	Inulin source; same Faecalibacterium-feeding mechanism as Green Juju. No seizure concern.
Cilantro	Mild caution	Contains volatile oils (linalool, geraniol) with theoretical CNS activity at high doses. Dose in this product is small. Used in heavy metal chelation; can mobilize stored toxins. Not a documented seizure trigger.
Ginger	Safe	Anti-inflammatory; some GABA-A modulation (mildly anti-seizure leaning). Already in Theo's stack via Green Juju.
Saccharomyces (fermentation yeast)	Safe	Used as fermentation organism, not specifically S. boulardii. No CNS/seizure interactions.
Butyrate (postbiotic)	Anti-seizure	Generated via dual-stage fermentation. HDAC-inhibition mechanism is anticonvulsant. Same compound class as therapeutic sodium butyrate / tributyrin supplements.

✓ Clean for an epileptic dog

The current GutSense formulation has no apparent pro-seizure ingredients. The reformulation appears to have removed previously-flagged content (typically L-glutamine, L-tryptophan, or similar amino acid additions). Probiotic strains overlap meaningfully with canine epilepsy research; the fermentation-derived butyrate is genuinely beneficial via HDAC inhibition.

But — don't switch

Theo is responding clinically to AB Healthy Gut (100% consistent normal stools only after this product). AB has broader strain coverage (14 vs 9), higher CFU (30B vs 10B), and digestive enzyme support. "Different and possibly fine" is not a reason to change something that's working. Current GutSense is a defensible alternative if AB ever becomes unavailable.

Minor caveat

GutSense publicly lists only 5 of 9 strains — partial transparency. AB Healthy Gut lists all 14 explicitly. For a sensitive dog, full ingredient disclosure matters.

Principles for future product decisions

Reformulations change safety profiles. A product unsafe years ago may be clean now (GutSense). A product marketed as "natural" may carry risk-class concerns (Phyto Synergy). Recheck periodically.
Mechanism evidence alone isn't enough. Verified bioactive content + third-party contamination testing + consistent QC matter more than literature mechanism claims for a sensitive dog.
The supplement timeline is diagnostic. Temporal correlations between additions and seizure events deserve attention, even when other variables changed.
Algal/cyanobacterial supplements are a risk class. Spirulina, AFA, marine phytoplankton blends carry cyanotoxin risk. Mushroom-based products (Mycodog, lion's mane) are a different category.

Seizures arise from imbalance between excitation and inhibition in neural networks. The mechanisms below are the major drivable categories, mapped to Theo's current protocol coverage. The microbiome data feeds primarily into the neuroinflammation category — and reveals a coverage gap that's invisible from the supplement list alone.

Mechanism categories · current coverage

Glutamate / NMDA

Magnesium (NMDA gating), Taurine (mild)

Moderate

GABA enhancement

Di Tan Tang (indirect), Taurine, Magnesium

Moderate

Sodium channels

Anticonvulsant medications

Drug-dependent

Calcium channels

Magnesium (modest), Keppra (weak secondary)

Light

SV2A modulation

Levetiracetam (Keppra) — unique pharmaceutical mechanism, no natural equivalent

Strong

Neuroinflammation

Omega-3, Turmeric, CBD, MCT-derived ketones — but downstream-only; gut source not addressed

Strong (downstream)

Oxidative stress

Vitamin C, Turmeric, Omega-3, Mycodog Clarity

Strong

Endocannabinoid system

ElleVet CBD

Strong

HPA axis / stress

CBD, Di Tan Tang, Magnesium

Good

B-vitamin cofactors

Thorne B-Complex #6, Standard Process Neuroplex

Strong (watch B6)

Mitochondrial support

MCT Oil (2 tbsp · therapeutic), B-Complex, Neuroplex

Strong

Gut–brain axis

Adored Beast, Green Juju — bacterial level addressed; specific dysbiosis markers not yet

Partial

Where microbiome data intersects mechanism map

Fusobacterium dominance (49.4)

LPS-driven systemic + neuroinflammation → can cross compromised BBB

Downstream only

R. gnavus expansion (47×)

Mucin degradation → leaky gut → BBB permeability → neuroinflammation

Not addressed

Prevotella_9 absent (0.0)

Lower seizure-protective taxon (2025 García-Belenguer canine epilepsy trial)

Not addressed

Faecalibacterium recovering (0.0 → 0.8)

Butyrate producer · HDAC inhibition mechanism · Green Juju working

In progress

SCFA producers depleted

Reduced HDAC anti-seizure signaling — but MCT-derived ketones provide alternate brain fuel

Indirect coverage

Critical insight

The neuroinflammation mechanism category looked fully covered on paper, but the microbiome data reveals it's covered downstream only — anti-inflammatory supplements suppress the symptoms. The upstream gut-driven inflammatory signal source (Fusobacterium dominance, R. gnavus barrier disruption) is potentially active and worsening. This is the genuine coverage gap that motivates targeted microbiome interventions: goat colostrum (lactoferrin → Fusobacterium), S. boulardii (R. gnavus suppression), and pomegranate polyphenols (selective Fusobacterium pressure).

Tracking Theo's microbiomeacross interventions.

What's moving · what isn't

Trend across samples

Markers by mechanism

Intervention timeline

Phyto Synergy (Adored Beast)

GutSense (Dr. Peter Dobias)

Mechanism categories · current coverage

Where microbiome data intersects mechanism map

Tracking Theo's microbiome
across interventions.