Clinical benefit of faecal microbiota transplantation administered via a single retention enema as an adjunctive treatment in dogs with chronic enteropathy: a randomised controlled trial.

Single retention enema FMT provides no additional benefit over diet change alone in chronic canine enteropathy.

This randomized controlled trial evaluated faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) administered via single retention enema as adjunctive therapy for canine chronic enteropathy. Forty-two dogs with chronic diarrhoea (>3 weeks duration) were randomly assigned to either FMT plus diet change (n=25) or diet change alone (n=17). FMT utilized fresh screened donor faeces administered rectally. Primary outcomes included Canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Activity Index, faecal score, and owner-reported clinical improvement assessed over 90 days. Both groups demonstrated progressive stool consistency improvement over time. By Day 90, clinical improvement rates were similar: 76% (95% CI 54-90%) in FMT group versus 73% (95% CI 40-92%) in standard treatment group. No statistically significant differences emerged between groups for owner-reported outcomes, CIBDAI scores, or faecal scores. The authors conclude that single-dose FMT did not demonstrate clear clinical advantage over dietary modification alone, though acknowledge the small sample size limits definitive conclusions regarding potential benefit. Results highlight substantial food responsiveness in this chronic enteropathy cohort.

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