Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Fecal transplant helps chronic large bowel diarrhea in working dogs
By Alves, João C et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2023·Divisã·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Faecal microbiome transplantation improves clinical signs of chronic idiopathic large bowel diarrhoea in working dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 30 large-breed working dogs suffering from chronic diarrhea was treated with either psyllium husk or a fecal microbiome transplant (FMT) to see which would help more. After 30 days, both treatments showed improvements in the dogs' health, but the FMT group experienced a quicker improvement in their overall condition and body weight. While both treatments helped, there were no significant differences in the frequency or severity of diarrhea between the two groups. Overall, both psyllium and FMT were effective in managing chronic diarrhea in these dogs.
People also search for: dog chronic diarrhea treatment · fecal transplant for dogs · psyllium husk for dog diarrhea
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Chronic diarrhoea is a common clinical sign in dogs with chronic enteropathy, and psyllium husk has been shown to improve clinical signs in affected dogs. The aim of this study was to investigate whether faecal microbiome transplant has a similar effect in alleviating clinical signs in dogs with chronic large bowel diarrhoea. METHOD: Thirty large-breed working dogs with chronic large bowel diarrhoea were divided into a psyllium group (PG) and a faecal microbiome transplant group (FMTG). To the PG, 16 g/day of psyllium husk was administered for 30 days. The FMTG received faecal microbiome transplantation (FMT) once via enema. A daily log of faecal characteristics was kept, and the dogs' canine inflammatory bowel disease index (CIBDAI) and body condition scores (BCS) were determined. A Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test was used to compare group results. In addition, the Kaplan-Meier test was used to evaluate the occurrence rate of 1 day or more of diarrhoea and 2 days or more of diarrhoea by day 30. RESULTS: The sample had a mean age of 3.9 ± 2.1 years and a bodyweight of 25.3 ± 6.8 kg. The FMTG showed a more rapid onset of CIBDAI improvement but no difference in other measures. At 30 days, the FMTG showed a greater improvement in bodyweight and BCS, but no differences were observed in faecal scores, defaecation frequency and time of appearance of episodes of diarrhoea. Time played a significant positive role in the results observed across both groups (p < 0.05). LIMITATIONS: This study did not compare the microbiomes of the dogs before and after treatment, so the role of specific types of bacteria cannot be determined. CONCLUSION: Psyllium husk and FMT had similar effects in improving clinical signs of chronic large bowel diarrhoea.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37245211/