RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS OF THE 28th ECVIM-CA CONGRESS

In people, faecal microbial transplantation (FMT) cures recurrent Clostridium difficile‐associated colitis possibly through the recovery of lost microbiota diversity. Similar FMT donor‐recipient microbiota interactions in recipient sick dogs have not been reported. The authors hypothesized that a single FMT would temporarily increase microbiota diversity and aimed to determine if FMT can substantially alter the microbiota diversity for a month. The hypothesis was tested in a canine haemorrhagic diarrhoea syndrome (HDS) model, which is associated with gut dysbiosis. Eight dogs with clinical signs of HDS (1:1 ratio) were randomized to receive FMT (recipient) or saline (control) via colonoscopy. The Pielou alpha bacterial diversity indexes (PABDI) were compared (through sequencing of the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene) in faecal samples from recipients, controls and matched donors obtained at admission (before FMT), discharge, and at 30‐day recheck. We also compared a previously validated HDS clinical score between recipients and controls. The recipient PABDI differed substantially between the time of admission and discharge (P 0.02) and was similar to the donors’ PABDI at discharge (P 0.39). However, the recipients’ PABDI did not differ between the time of admission and recheck (P 0.77). In contrast, the PABDI of the donors and controls did not change at any point during the study. The HDS clinical score did not differ between recipients and controls (P 0.14). In conclusion, FMT transiently altered the recipients’ bacterial diversity. Further studies are required to determine the number of repeated FMT procedures that will lead to a long‐term increase in bacterial diversity.