Single treatment can help dogs with chronic bowel inflammation

A single treatment of donor bacteria has been identified as a possible temporary treatment for chronic enteropathy in dogs.

Research carried out by a team from the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and the Hospital for Small Animals has shown that a single faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) provided “significant relief” lasting up to 10 weeks for dogs with the chronic inflammatory condition.

Seven dogs with a chronic inflammatory condition of the gut received a single FMT from two healthy donor dogs, with clinical assessments conducted over a 90-day period.

Single treatment

The results have been published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine and suggest that a single treatment of FMT may be a practical and effective addition to the treatment options for chronic gut conditions in dogs.

Options for chronic enteropathy in dogs, often compared to Crohn’s disease in humans, typically involve dietary changes, anti-inflammatory medications and, in some cases, immune-suppressing drugs.

However, FMT has emerged as a potential alternative to restore gut health by transferring faecal material from healthy donors into affected dogs via an enema.

Promising results

While FMT has been explored in previous research, researchers believe this study provides fresh insights into its long-term effects and practical application for veterinary medicine.

Silke Salavati, from the University of Edinburgh Hospital for Small Animals, 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.”