The Science Behind Ipromea
Your pet's health begins in the gut
Every Ipromea product is built on one principle: a balanced microbiome is the foundation of a healthy animal. Understanding how we get there is what sets us apart.
What is the microbiome?
Your dog or cat carries trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi throughout their body. This community of microorganisms — the microbiome — plays a central role in digestion, immunity, skin health, mood and overall wellbeing. When the microbiome is balanced, your pet thrives. When it falls out of balance, health issues follow.
Research now shows that the microbiome of pets and their owners overlaps significantly. Because we share our homes, we constantly exchange microbes with our animals. A disrupted microbiome in your dog or cat doesn't just affect them — it can affect the whole household. Health problems including diarrhoea, skin disease, gum disease and behavioural changes have all been linked to gut microbiome imbalances in pets.
A comprehensive study of 96 healthy dogs identified the dominant gut microbiome species as Fusobacterium perfoetens, Prevotella copri, Romboutsia timonensis and Mediterranea massiliensis — organisms that are meaningfully different from the strains found in most human probiotic supplements. This distinction matters. Ipromea's formulations are designed specifically for the canine and feline microbiome, not adapted from human health products.
Prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics — what's the difference?
Prebiotics
Specialised plant fibres (such as inulin and FOS) that feed beneficial bacteria already living in the gut. Think of them as fertiliser for the microbiome. Without prebiotics, probiotic bacteria arrive in the gut without a food source to sustain them.
Probiotics
Live beneficial bacteria that colonise the gut and contribute to a healthy microbial balance. Ipromea products use clinically relevant strains including Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Bifidobacterium lactis and Lactobacillus casei — chosen for their evidence base in companion animals, not simply for their availability.
Postbiotics
Bioactive compounds produced during the fermentation process — including inactive microbial cells, cell components and metabolites — that deliver measurable health benefits. Postbiotics are more stable than live bacteria, which makes them reliably effective across a product's shelf life. This emerging category is where Ipromea has made its most significant scientific investment.
Patented Technology
Introducing Zoonatant™
Zoonatant™ is Ipromea's patented postbiotic technology — and the scientific core of every product we make. It is a concentrated supernatant: the metabolites and bioactive compounds generated when our specific probiotic strains are cultured in our proprietary growth media.
Unlike standard postbiotic extracts, Zoonatant™ is strain-specific. The resulting compounds are enriched with the particular beneficial properties of each probiotic genus used in culture. These metabolites then interact with the vast pre-existing microbiome in your pet's gut, supporting its growth and improving the broader microbial environment.
The postbiotic components in Zoonatant™ have demonstrated direct anti-microbial activity by sealing the intestinal barrier and modulating the gut environment — reducing the opportunity for pathogens to adhere and proliferate.
The three Zoonatant™ strains
Used in Tummy Time liquid probiotics. Bifidobacterium species are among the most well-studied beneficial bacteria in mammalian gut health, supporting the intestinal barrier and immune regulation.
Used across the full Ipromea range including Tummy Time, our kangaroo treats and the Probiotic Pet Shampoo. Lactobacillus species produce lactic acid and antimicrobial compounds that suppress harmful bacteria and support mucosal immunity.
Used in Tummy Time and the Probiotic Pet Shampoo. Lactococcus strains produce bacteriocins — natural antimicrobial peptides — that provide an additional layer of pathogen inhibition both in the gut and on the skin.
Next-generation probiotics: Prevotella copri
Most pet probiotic brands use strains originally developed for human supplements — Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longum — which are not necessarily significant components of a healthy canine microbiome. Ipromea's scientific work goes further.
Prevotella copri (PAB-PC03) is a next-generation probiotic strain that accounts for up to 38% relative abundance in the gut microbiomes of healthy dogs. Studies have found it to be consistently reduced in dogs with intestinal disease, making it a meaningful marker of microbiome health. It supports immune response, energy harvest management and a more diverse, resilient microbial community.
Ipromea is among the first Australian pet health companies to incorporate this organism into its formulation research, reflecting a commitment to evidence that is specific to companion animals rather than borrowed from human health science.
Where and how Ipromea products are made
Ipromea products are manufactured at BJP Laboratories in Yatala, Queensland, one of Australia's leading probiotic manufacturers. This is not a co-packing arrangement. Our products are made in the same facility where the probiotic science is developed.
TGA Licensed
BJP Laboratories holds TGA Licence No. MI-2015-LI-08537-1. This is the same regulatory framework applied to human therapeutic goods — a level of oversight rarely applied in the Australian pet supplement market.
cGMP Certified
Current Good Manufacturing Practice certification requires documented, validated manufacturing processes with full batch traceability. Every Ipromea batch is manufactured and released under cGMP conditions.
HACCP Certified
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points certification governs food safety management throughout production. All Ipromea food-format products (treats, meal toppers, liquid probiotics) are produced under HACCP protocols.
APVMA Compliant
Ipromea products that meet the threshold for APVMA oversight are registered and compliant with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority's requirements.
Independent Testing
Batches are tested by multiple independent laboratories including ConMac Laboratory Services, Biotest Laboratories, Southern Cross Analytical Research, Australian Laboratory Services and others — for both chemical/physical and microbial compliance before release.
Vet Endorsed
The Ipromea range is reviewed and endorsed by Dr. Claire Stevens, a Gold Coast veterinarian. Dr. Stevens provides independent clinical perspective on product formulation, efficacy claims and usage guidance.
How the science translates into results for your pet
The combination of prebiotics, live probiotic strains and Zoonatant™ postbiotic technology creates what is known as a synbiotic effect — where each component supports the others. Live bacteria are sustained by prebiotics. Postbiotic compounds suppress competing pathogens. The gut environment becomes more hospitable to beneficial microbes and less hospitable to harmful ones.
The outcomes pet owners typically observe with consistent daily use include improved stool quality and consistency, reduced digestive upsets, improvement in coat shine and skin condition, fresher breath (particularly with the oral-specific chews), and improved energy and overall demeanour. Skin and coat improvements generally require 4 to 6 weeks of consistent use; digestive improvements are often visible within the first week.
Ipromea products are designed to be used daily, added directly to food. The easiest way to support your pet's microbiome is to make it part of the routine — not an intervention taken only when problems arise.
Ready to support your pet's microbiome?
Browse the Ipromea range and find the right product for your dog or cat's specific health needs.