Patients sought for faecal matter transplantation study

Canine patients with chronic small intestinal diarrhoea are being sought for a groundbreaking multicentre study into faecal matter transplantation (FMT).

Chronic diarrhoea is normally managed by diet, probiotics or antibiotics, with immunosuppressive agents recommended if diet and therapeutic approaches fail to control the signs.

FMT has been used in humans to treat Clostridium difficile infections and trialled in conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, but a canine study involving Davies Veterinary Specialists, Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service, and eight other private practices and universities is under way.

Enteropathy

Julien Bazelle, an RCVS and European veterinary specialist in small animal internal medicine at Davies, is involved in the study with Ian Battersby, Davies’ head of internal medicine.

Mr Bazelle said: “We are interested in seeing if FMT will help with the management of chronic enteropathy in dogs.

“The goal is to recruit, over a short period of time, canine patients with chronic small intestinal diarrhoea, for a randomised trial in which the cohort receives or not FMT at the time of the initial investigations and prior to any other treatment.”

Participants

Canine patients aged 6 months to 10 years old, with a history of chronic small intestinal diarrhoea (with or without other gastrointestinal signs), are being sought to participate in the study. Half of the dogs will receive FMT and the other half will be managed without.

FMT will be performed in eligible patients during the sedation for their routine abdominal ultrasound. Transplanted faecal matter will be administered via a retention enema.

To be eligible, dogs must not have received antibiotics, probiotics or steroids recently. Anyone with potentially suitable patients can email julien.[email protected] or fergus.[email protected]