What is Faecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT)?

Faecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT) is a simple procedure that involves transferring faecal matter from a healthy donor animal into the colon of a recipient animal, by enema. This transfers an entire microbial ecosystem, including bacteria, viruses, phages, fungi.  The goal is to improve the Dysbiosis Index of the patient, in a Microbial-directed approach, and improve the clinical signs of gastro-intestinal disease.  It is generally safe, even in immunocompromised patients and those on steroids, and can be used with other therapies for helping those particularly with chronic gut issues, but hopefully more in the future!

How Does FMT Benefit Dogs and Cats?

The GI tract hosts trillions of bacteria, fungi, and other microbes collectively known as the gut microbiome. When this community is disrupted—a state called dysbiosis—it can lead to chronic or severe GI issues.

FMT works by immediately repopulating the recipient’s gut with a healthy, diverse, and functioning microbial ecosystem from the donor. This can offer significant benefits, particularly for conditions associated with dysbiosis:

• Restoring Gut Balance: It quickly reintroduces beneficial bacteria that may have been lost due to illness, prolonged antibiotic use, stress, or dietary changes.
• Treating Chronic Diarrhoea and Enteropathies: This is where FMT really shines.  It can be an adjunct therapy in managing chronic diarrhoea, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and other chronic enteropathies in cases where standard treatments have failed. 
• Acute Diarrhoea: low to moderate evidence of benefit exists, but better than wiping out the gut environment with metronidazole treatment.
• Parvo virus: Proven 50% faster faecal normalisation and shorter hospital stays.
• Boosting Immunity: A healthy gut microbiome is crucial for regulating the immune system.
• Enhancing Digestion: It introduces microbes which aid in breaking down food components and producing essential nutrients, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which support colon health.

Plenty of case studies are ongoing for its application in chronic skin cases, obesity, diabetes, severe cases of haemorrhagic diarrhoea and chronic Giardia infections.  Watch this space!

Do you think your pet could benefit from FMT?

If you and your vet decide that FMT could be of benefit for your pet, there are a few things that need to be ruled out before FMT therapy, to avoid setting up for failure.

There must be no parasites, endocrine disease or other possible primary causes for the diarrhoea or gastro-intestinal upset that could be otherwise treated.  They need to have had a good work up including Diarrhoea PCR panel with the lab, blood analysis and any imaging that may be necessary to rule out other causes of disease, immune-mediated issues, cancer etc..

We will request history and diagnostic results from your vet in an initial consultation, and then make a plan for your pet according to their requirements and type of disease we are aiming to help.

What is required to perform an FMT?

• After fasting the night before to reduce faecal matter in the colon, they will be given a mild sedation to enable emptying of the colon and administration of fresh filtered faecal matter by an enema. 
• They then need to keep the enema in for around 30-45 mins for maximum chance at implantation, but the longer the better.  So, they will rest in their bed quietly for a few hours before going home to maximise the retention of the enema.
• This may need repeating 1-5 times depending on condition being treated for and the patient’s individual response.

Our Donor selection process and testing

It is important to us that we are not introducing anything into the recipient dog or cat that can result in worsening that patient.  Our aim is to do no harm but hope to help.

Our donor dogs undergo rigorous infectious testing every 6 months including:

• Salmonella, Campylobacter, Giardia, Crypto and GI parasites
• They are between 1-7yrs old, healthy and with no behavioural problems or skin allergies
• They undergo a Dysbiosis Index screening to aim for a DI index over 4.

Our cats undergo the same testing as above, but are also screened for FIV/FeLV, Tri trichomonas and enteric Corona virus.

Ring us today for an appointment to plan your pet’s FMT journey.