The pet industry, especially pet food, is experiencing rapid growth. This growth is accompanied by increasing concerns about pets' gut health, as an imbalanced microbiota can lead to various diseases. This study analyzes global patent trends in microbiome-based technologies for treating pet digestive issues using the WIPS database across major markets. Of 1,194 patents identified, 394 key references were examined, highlighting the increasing number of probiotic and microbiome-related patents since 2016. China dominates this sector, followed by Korea, Japan, and the United States. The findings provide a foundation for advancing microbiome-driven solutions for pet digestive ailments.

• Byung-Suk Jeon(Toxicological Evaluation Laboratory, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon 39660, Korea)
• Huiyeong Jeong(College of Veterinary Medicine and BK21 Plus Project Team, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea)
• Ji-Hyun Bang(Toxicological Evaluation Laboratory, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon 39660, Korea)
• Bokyung Jung(College of Veterinary Medicine and BK21 Plus Project Team, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea)
• Jong-Hwan Park(College of Veterinary Medicine and BK21 Plus Project Team, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea) Corresponding author
• Joong-Sun Kim(College of Veterinary Medicine and BK21 Plus Project Team, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea) Corresponding author