Faecal microbiota transplant helps emergency referral
Successful outcome for dog with acute haemorrhagic diarrhoea syndrome
Gastroenterology Specialists at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies have used faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) to successfully aid the recovery of a dog with acute haemorrhagic diarrhoea syndrome (AHDS).
Urgent referral
Poppy, an eight-year-old Labrador, was referred urgently to the Internal Medicine Service at the Hospital for Small Animals following acute, severe onset of haemorrhagic gastroenteritis, accompanied by vomiting, anorexia and abdominal pain.
The dog had been hospitalised by her vet for a week before being referred and had shown some improvement, but continued to have haemorrhagic diarrhoea with a concerning drop in serum proteins. Common infectious causes, or systemic diseases such as hypoadrenocorticism, had already been ruled out at this point.
On arrival, treatment with analgesia and intravenous fluids was continued. An abdominal ultrasound was unremarkable apart from generalised intestinal wall thickening. Hypoalbuminaemia (serum albumin of 19.5g/l, reference range) was confirmed. A presumptive diagnosis of acute haemorrhagic diarrhoea syndrome (AHDS) was made.
FMT treatment
In addition to the usual supportive and symptomatic treatment, the team decided to perform a faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in the hope of speeding up Poppy’s recovery.
The FMT, which is a filtered blend of the faecal microbiota from a healthy donor and kept in frozen aliquots in the Hospital’s faecal donor bank, was administered via enema. The simple procedure was conducted under mild sedation, took less than 10 minutes and was completed without complications.
Poppy received a second FMT the following day, and was discharged back into the care of her referring vet with an easy-to-digest prescription food and probiotics. Her serum albumin levels quickly returned to normal, and her owners reported that her appetite soon returned to normal and she was back to enjoying her walks.
Specialist service
Led by gastroenterology RCVS Specialists Professor Silke Salavati and Dr Julian Dandrieux, the Hospital’s FMT service has been very successful in treating canine patients with AHDS, as well as other infectious conditions such as parvo virus or chronic enteropathy.
FMT has been shown to be clinically as effective as metronidazole when treating AHDS, but without the associated disruption of the intestinal microbiota.
If you have a patient who you think would benefit from FMT, please email fmt@ed.ac.uk.
About the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies
The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies is a one-of-a-kind centre of excellence in clinical activity, teaching and research. Our purpose-built campus, set against the backdrop of the beautiful Pentland Hills Regional Park, is home to more than 800 staff and almost 1400 students, all of whom contribute to our exceptional community ethos.
The School comprises:
The Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems
The Hospital for Small Animals
The Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education
We represent the largest concentration of animal science-related expertise in Europe, impacting local, regional, national and international communities in terms of economic growth, the provision of clinical services and the advancement of scientific knowledge.