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Bacteria transplants could help canine gut disease, study finds
FMT could provide viable short-term treatment for chronic enteropathy.
Donor bacteria could provide relief for chronic bowel inflammation.

A new study has revealed the clinical benefits of bacterial transplants to dogs with gut disease.

Researchers from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies found that just one treatment of a donor bacteria provided temporary relief for chronic bowel conditions in dogs.

Chronic enteropathy, an inflammatory condition of the gut, is often compared to Crohn’s disease in humans. It frequently causes persistent signs such as diarrhoea, vomiting and weight loss.

It is often treated through dietary changes, anti-inflammatory medicines and immune-suppressing drugs. However, in recent years, faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has become a potential alternative.

The study involved seven dogs that were experiencing chronic enteropathy. Each dog received a single FMT from two healthy donor dogs, followed by clinical assessments over the following 90-day period.

The dogs’ progress was recorded using a clinical activity scale, which measures the severity of the disease. It records data on symptoms such as appetite, weight loss, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Before their treatment, the dogs had an average score of eight. This means that their symptoms indicated a moderate to severe level of disease.

One week after treatment, the average score dropped to three. By day 30, the average score had fallen to one.

Researchers say that FMT could therefore provide a practical and viable short-term treatment for dogs with chronic enteropathy, although its exact mechanism remains unclear.

The study also investigate how glycerol, a substance used to preserve frozen samples, might impact the effectiveness of FMT.

Glycerol was not found to be necessary for maintaining FMT effectiveness. Frozen FMT examples could therefore remain viable without glycerol, providing they are used after a single thaw and are not refrozen.

Silke Salavati, personal chair of small animal gastroenterology, said: “Our findings suggest that while faecal microbiota transplantations can provide meaningful clinical improvement for dogs with chronic enteropathy, the way it works might not be through permanently changing the microbiota.

“This raises interesting questions about what exactly in the transplant is driving the benefits - whether it's the bacteria themselves or other bioactive compounds they produce.”

The full study can be found in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Image © Shutterstock

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Free CPD announced for BVNA members

News Story 1
 Zoetis is to present a CPD event for free to members of the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA).

Led by veterinary consultant Ruth Moxon, the one-hour online session is designed to help veterinary nurses discuss parasiticide options with clients. It will advise on structuring recommendations, factors for product choice and moving away from 'selling'.

'How do you recommend parasite treatments to your clients?' will be presented on Tuesday, 20 May at 7.30pm. It is free for BVNA members, with 15.00 tickets for non-members.

Veterinary nurses can email cpd@bvna.co.uk to book their place. 

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News Shorts
BBC Radio 4 documentary addresses corporate fees

BBC Radio 4's File on 4 Investigates has released a documentary exploring how corporate-owned veterinary practices may be inflating bills to increase profit.

Released on 15 April, 'What's Happening To Your Vet Bills?' revealed the policies which many corporate groups have in place to increase their profits. This included targets and upgrades which veterinary teams are tasked with meeting on a regular basis.

It also features Anrich Vets, an independently-owned practice based in Wigan. Following the case of Staffordshire terrier Benjy, who is diagnosed with a tumour, the documentary shares how the team were able to offer contextualised care and advice to make the procedure as affordable as possible for his owners.

The documentary can be heard on demand on BBC iPlayer.