Clinical trial reveals limited clinical and microbiome effects following oral fecal microbiota transplantation in dogs with chronic enteropathy responsive to tylosin.

Oral FMT showed no clear clinical benefit over placebo in dogs with tylosin-responsive enteropathy.

This prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigated the efficacy of oral fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in dogs with tylosin-responsive enteropathy (TRE). Fourteen client-owned dogs with confirmed TRE were enrolled, with 7 receiving oral FMT capsules and 7 receiving placebo over 4 weeks (one placebo dog was excluded due to pyometra). Clinical outcomes were assessed using the Canine Chronic Enteropathy Clinical Activity Index (CCECAI) and fecal consistency scores, while microbiome evaluation included dysbiosis index, core bacterial populations, bile acids, short-chain fatty acids, lactate, and calprotectin. Intestinal permeability was measured via serum iohexol. Relapse rates were 28.6% in the FMT group and 50.0% in the placebo group, a difference that was not statistically significant given the small sample size. The dysbiosis index decreased in both groups over time with no significant treatment effect. Faecalibacterium spp showed higher posttreatment values in the FMT group, and Turicibacter spp increased in both groups, while Peptacetobacter hiranonis increased without between-group differences. Bile acid conversion was observed in a subset of dogs without group-specific differences. Overall, oral FMT produced variable microbiome changes and inconsistent clinical responses compared to placebo. The authors conclude that while oral FMT may serve as an adjunctive microbiome-modulation strategy, larger studies with optimized protocols are needed to establish clinical efficacy.

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