About this report. Hodor and Adelle are real animals. The faecal and oral samples, the Oxford Nanopore sequencing, the parasite qPCR and the oral qPCR panel were all genuinely run, and every measured value on this page is the value that came back. What is not yet real is the comparison: the age-matched reference cohort is still being recruited, so every percentile position, cohort median and reference range shown here is provisional and will change. Both owners have consented to their first name and their animal appearing here.

Real sample data · provisional reference ranges

Adelle's report, in full.

A real case: a 4-year-old domestic shorthair with months of intermittent vomiting and a vet diagnosis of early-stage chronic kidney disease. The report format below adds a parallel microbiome view to a vet's clinical work-up, with the gut-kidney axis findings set alongside a renal diet trial. Real sample data. Reference ranges provisional.

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✓ Real sample data ✓ Real sample, provisional reference ranges ✓ Wellness profiling, not diagnostic

Case study

Adelle · 4y

Domestic shorthair · female spayed · 4.2 kg

Sample collected 18 May 2026

Test ordered Complete Bundle

Sample type Faecal + oral swab

Sample ID SXN-08203

"She'd been throwing up about once or twice a week for months, then started drinking heaps more water. Vet bloods showed early kidney disease. I wanted everything else looked at too." Shirley, Adelle's owner

The story behind the sample

Why Shirley ordered a BAARK kit.

Every BAARK report sits inside a clinical context. Here is Adelle's, in three steps. The report itself follows below.

Presenting concerns

Adelle had been vomiting on and off for around four months, roughly once or twice a week, mostly undigested food rather than bile. In the most recent six weeks Shirley also noticed Adelle drinking more water and using the litter tray more often, plus a slight loss of weight on Shirley's regular weigh-ins. Appetite was variable, energy a touch lower than usual.

Vet work-up (parallel)

Adelle's vet ran bloods (mildly elevated creatinine and SDMA), urinalysis (mild loss of concentrating ability), and abdominal imaging (small kidneys with irregular cortices). Diagnosis: early-stage chronic kidney disease, IRIS Stage 2 borderline. A renal-supportive diet trial was started. Faecal flotation was negative for intestinal parasites.

Why test BAARK

Shirley wanted a fuller view of Adelle's gut microbiome to inform diet conversations with the vet, and was particularly curious about the gut-kidney axis given the renal diet shift. She ordered the Complete Bundle: paired faecal and oral samples, returned in the prepaid mailer. The oral swab was, in Shirley's words, "easier than expected with a treat involved".

The report

What Shirley saw when she signed in.

Below is exactly the dashboard view in the BAARK Biome Portal, with every panel from Adelle's actual report. Scroll through; nothing is hidden.

portal.baark.com.au

portal.baark.com.au / dashboard / adelle

Adelle · Domestic Shorthair

4 years · female spayed · 4.2 kg · sample SXN-08203 · collected 18 May 2026 · results 25 May 2026

Results ready 5 suggestions to discuss

Gut Health Score

32/100

Well below cohort median (64)

Diversity (Shannon)

2.62

15^th %ile vs cohort

Dysbiosis index

High

Beneficial : opportunistic

0.9×

below cohort range (1.8 - 5.4)

Gut Health Score · this sample with cohort context First test on file

32/100

Below cohort median (64) for age-matched Domestic Shorthair cats

Score range 0 - 100

020406080100

Position vs age-matched cohort (provisional) 12^th %ile

Lower scoreCohort medianHigher

First-result trajectory · single timepoint to date

Gut Health Score (this sample) Cohort median

Bacterial taxa · gut sample · top 24 of 318 detected Marked dysbiosis · CKD-pattern

Species	Abundance	Cohort %ile	Status
Escherichia coli	13.7%	96^th	Markedly elevated
Bacteroides fragilis	8.2%	54^th	Healthy
Helicobacter felis	7.6%	93^rd	Elevated
Enterococcus faecalis	5.3%	86^th	Elevated
Clostridium perfringens	4.8%	82^nd	Elevated
Bacteroides plebeius	4.1%	48^th	Healthy
Faecalibacterium prausnitzii	1.2%	11^th	Below range
Bifidobacterium longum	0.5%	8^th	Below range
Bifidobacterium pseudolongum	0.4%	7^th	Below range
Roseburia intestinalis	0.9%	14^th	Below range
Streptococcus lutetiensis	3.0%	76^th	Elevated
Megamonas funiformis	2.7%	52^nd	Healthy
Catenibacterium mitsuokai	2.4%	58^th	Healthy
Prevotella copri	2.2%	46^th	Healthy
Eubacterium rectale	0.7%	18^th	Below range
Klebsiella pneumoniae	1.9%	91^st	Elevated
Lactobacillus johnsonii	0.9%	22^nd	Below range
Akkermansia muciniphila	0.4%	9^th	Below range
Collinsella aerofaciens	1.4%	42^nd	Healthy
Blautia coccoides	1.2%	38^th	Healthy
Sutterella stercoricanis	1.4%	71^st	Elevated
Fusobacterium russii	1.0%	68^th	Elevated
Anaerostipes hadrus	0.4%	19^th	Below range
Other (294 species)	remainder · 33.3%	-	Mixed

Healthy range (cohort 25-75th %ile) Below range or modestly elevated Markedly outside range

Functional metabolic profile · measured from gene content Uraemic-toxin precursor pathways elevated

Butyrate-producing capacity Reduced

14^th %ile · driven by low Faecalibacterium, Roseburia, Eubacterium rectale, Anaerostipes hadrus

Propionate-producing capacity Within range

38^th %ile · supported by Bacteroides, Megamonas

Mucin-degradation capacity Reduced

9^th %ile · low Akkermansia muciniphila

Bile-acid transformation Reduced

22^nd %ile · narrow bile-salt hydrolase repertoire

LPS-biosynthesis signal Elevated

88^th %ile · consistent with elevated E. coli, Klebsiella, Helicobacter

Carbohydrate-fermentation breadth Below range

24^th %ile · narrow CAZyme repertoire

Uraemic-toxin precursor pathways · gut-kidney axis

Indole-producing capacity Elevated

84^th %ile · driven by elevated E. coli, Clostridium perfringens, reduced Bifidobacterium. Indole is the precursor to indoxyl-sulfate, a uraemic toxin cleared by the kidneys.

p-Cresol biosynthesis capacity Elevated

78^th %ile · driven by elevated Clostridium, Fusobacterium. p-Cresol is the precursor to p-cresyl-sulfate, a uraemic toxin cleared by the kidneys.

Trimethylamine (TMA) producers Within range

42^nd %ile · TMA is the precursor to TMAO, also relevant in renal physiology.

Urease-encoding gene burden Elevated

74^th %ile · contributed by Helicobacter felis and Enterobacteriaceae.

Gut-kidney axis pattern · context for the renal diet trial

Multiple findings consistent with the published feline CKD microbiome signature

Discuss with vet

What the report shows. Adelle's gut profile carries several features that match the published feline CKD microbiome literature: reduced Bifidobacterium (8^th and 7^th %ile across two species), reduced butyrate-producing capacity, elevated Enterobacteriaceae (E. coli 96^th %ile, Klebsiella 91^st), and elevated functional capacity for the indole and p-cresol biosynthesis pathways that produce uraemic-toxin precursors.

What this means in context. The gut-kidney axis is the established observation that gut bacteria produce metabolites which the kidneys must clear, and that an altered gut microbiome can influence the load of those metabolites. In CKD specifically, indoxyl-sulfate and p-cresyl-sulfate accumulate when renal clearance falls; their precursors are produced by gut bacteria. Reduced Bifidobacterium and reduced SCFA producers are a recurrent finding in CKD cats and people.

How this report fits with Adelle's vet visit. Adelle's vet diagnosed early-stage CKD from creatinine, SDMA, urinalysis and imaging. The renal-supportive diet trial has already begun. The BAARK report adds a microbiome layer: it documents the dysbiosis pattern that is consistent with the CKD literature, quantifies the uraemic-toxin precursor pathway burden, and gives a baseline against which a retest (after roughly 3 months on the renal diet) can show whether the microbiome side has shifted.

Indole producers 84^th %ile

p-Cresol producers 78^th %ile

Bifidobacterium (combined) 0.9% · 7^th %ile

Enterobacteriaceae (sum) 15.6% · 96^th %ile

SCFA producers (sum) 3.2% · 12^th %ile

Reads supporting profile 1,847,231

Important. BAARK is wellness profiling, not a diagnostic test. The report does not detect, diagnose, stage, or predict the progression of chronic kidney disease. The clinical diagnosis of CKD belongs with Adelle's veterinarian and was made independently of this microbiome report. The gut-kidney axis findings here describe a microbiome pattern consistent with the published CKD literature; they are background for a vet conversation about diet and retest timing, not a basis for any treatment decision.

Fungal screen · gut sample No flags

Candida albicans Background · within range

Candida glabrata Not detected

Malassezia spp. Background · within range

Aspergillus spp. Not detected

Saccharomyces spp. Background · diet-derived

Oral microbiome · feline-typical profile Periodontal risk: moderate

Pasteurella multocida 14.8% · within range (cat-typical commensal)

Capnocytophaga spp. 9.2% · within range

Porphyromonas gingivalis 5.4% · 81^st %ile (periodontal-associated)

Treponema denticola 3.1% · 76^th %ile (periodontal-associated)

Tannerella forsythia 2.2% · 72^nd %ile (periodontal-associated)

Streptococcus minor 8.6% · within range

Fusobacterium nucleatum 3.4% · within range

Neisseria zoodegmatis 5.8% · within range

Parasite qPCR · feline 7-target panel · Ct values 7/7 negative

Target	Ct value	Threshold	Result	Notes
Giardia duodenalis	–	< 38.0	Negative	No amplification within 40 cycles
Cryptosporidium spp.	–	< 38.0	Negative	No amplification
Tritrichomonas foetus	–	< 38.0	Negative	Important rule-out for chronic feline diarrhoea
Toxoplasma gondii	–	< 38.0	Negative	No amplification
Cystoisospora felis	–	< 38.0	Negative	No amplification
Hammondia hammondi	–	< 38.0	Negative	No amplification
Aelurostrongylus abstrusus	–	< 38.0	Negative	No amplification (feline lungworm)
Internal positive control	21.8	< 28.0	Pass	Spike recovery within tolerance

Suggestions to discuss with Adelle's vet 5 items · generated by BAARK Biome Health Engine

Renal diet and prebiotic content. The uraemic-toxin precursor pathway burden (84^th %ile indole-producing, 78^th %ile p-cresol biosynthesis) is the kind of finding the renal-supportive diet is designed in part to address. Worth confirming with the vet whether the prescribed diet has specific prebiotic content, and whether a probiotic adjunct (typically Bifidobacterium-containing in feline CKD studies) is appropriate. Decisions about diet and supplements belong with the vet, not the BAARK suggestion.

Helicobacter felis finding. Elevated H. felis (93^rd %ile) is worth raising with the vet in the context of the residual vomiting. Feline gastric Helicobacter species are common, often subclinical, but can be associated with chronic gastritis and intermittent vomiting. The report does not establish causation; it surfaces an organism worth a vet-led discussion alongside the existing clinical picture.

Periodontal-associated organisms. Elevated Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, and Tannerella forsythia together suggest moderate periodontal risk. In CKD cats, oral inflammation is a recognised risk factor; the vet may want to consider a dental check, particularly given the systemic context. Worth flagging at the next visit.

SCFA recovery as a follow-up marker. Butyrate-producing capacity is at the 14^th %ile, driven by low Faecalibacterium, Roseburia, Eubacterium rectale, and Anaerostipes hadrus. Whether this recovers on the renal diet is one of the clearest things a follow-up sample would show.

Retest window. The Engine suggests retesting around August 2026, after roughly 3 months on the renal-supportive diet. The retest will let you and the vet see whether the dysbiosis pattern has shifted, whether Bifidobacterium has recovered, and whether the uraemic-toxin precursor pathway burden has reduced. This is a measurable wellness marker; the clinical CKD monitoring (creatinine, SDMA, urinalysis) remains with the vet.

Wellness profiling, not a diagnostic test. The Engine's suggestions describe what the report shows and where a vet conversation is most likely useful; they are not treatment recommendations. Decisions about diet, antimicrobials, supplements, or any other intervention belong with Adelle's veterinarian, who carries the clinical responsibility for her CKD management.

Methodology and run quality control All QC pass

Sequencing platform Oxford Nanopore PromethION · R10.4.1 flow cell

Library preparation Native barcoding · ligation kit

Bioinformatics Long-read metagenomic classification · GTDB r214 reference

Parasite assay Feline 7-target qPCR · QuantStudio 1 · run 23 May 2026

Gut sample reads (post QC) 1,847,231 readsPASS

Oral sample reads (post QC) 1,304,886 readsPASS

Mean read length (gut) 2,180 bp · N50 3,820 bp

Mean read length (oral) 1,720 bp · N50 2,940 bp

Negative control No amplificationPASS

Mock community recovery 94.1% expected at species levelPASS

Reference cohort Australian collection, recruitment in progress

Engine version BAARK Biome Health Engine v3.4.1

Sample SXN-08203 · lab journey

✓

Sample arrived

19 May 2026

✓

DNA extraction

20 May 2026

✓

Sequencing + qPCR

22 May 2026

✓

Bioinformatics

24 May 2026

●

Report ready

25 May 2026

A wellness profile complements the vet, it doesn't replace them.

Adelle's case is a clinically loaded one: chronic intermittent vomiting and a vet diagnosis of early-stage chronic kidney disease, all in a 4-year-old cat. The vet's clinical work-up established the diagnosis through bloods, urinalysis and imaging. None of that comes from the BAARK report.

What BAARK adds is the parallel microbiome view. The gut-kidney axis is well-documented: in CKD cats and people, an altered gut microbiome contributes to the load of uraemic-toxin precursors that the kidneys must clear. The report quantifies that microbiome side. It does not detect, stage, or predict CKD; it documents a pattern that, in the context of the vet's diagnosis, gives the renal diet a measurable baseline to track against.

Shirley shared the read-only report link with Adelle's vet. The vet kept the existing renal-supportive diet trial, added a probiotic discussion for the next visit, flagged the Helicobacter felis finding for the chronic vomiting work-up, and pencilled in a dental review. A retest is planned for August.

Vet runs bloods, urinalysis, imaging. Diagnosis: early-stage CKD, IRIS Stage 2 borderline. Renal-supportive diet trial begins.

Shirley orders BAARK Bundle. Faecal and oral samples returned in the prepaid mailer. Oral swab manageable with a treat.

Report documents the gut-kidney axis pattern · low Bifidobacterium, elevated Enterobacteriaceae, elevated indole and p-cresol biosynthesis pathways. Consistent with the published feline CKD microbiome literature.

Report also surfaces an H. felis finding · 93^rd %ile · worth a vet conversation in the context of the residual chronic vomiting that the renal diet alone hasn't fully resolved.

Shirley shares the read-only report with the vet. The conversation moves to probiotic adjuncts, a dental review for the periodontal-associated organisms, and a retest in August to see whether the microbiome side has shifted on the new diet.

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