Fecal microbiota transplants for drug resistant epilepsy in dogs | Animal Welfare Magazine

Epilepsy management in dogs can be a challenge, especially when medication resists. Many of these dogs suffer not only for seizures, but also anxiety and symptoms similar to ADHD.

Recently, researchers at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of Texas A&M (VMBS) and the Systems Neuroscience Center in Hannover, Germany, made a fascinating discovery. They discovered that fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) for drug -resistant epilepsy in dogs can help reduce negative mental health symptoms.

FMT is a non -invasive treatment administered by Enema. It has become popular in human medicine in the last two decades, thanks to the increase in scientific understanding of intestinal microbioma.

Scientists have also discovered that intestinal microbioma plays an even more important role in influencing other parts of the body. This includes the brain, in what is called the axis of the intestinal brain.

“We know that high levels of mental stress can affect intestinal motility,” said Dr. Jan Suchodolski, associate director of Research and Chief of Microbioma Sciences in the Gastrointestinal Laboratory of Texas A&M. “Several neurological diseases, including disease and stroke of Alzheimer’s stroke, also seem to cause intestinal symptoms in patients and vice versa.

“Studies have shown that changing the intestine microbiome with probiotics or diet alterations can affect the symptoms of the disease, so there is a lot of evidence of this relationship,” he adds. FMT is just a type of treatment that makes use of the intestinal-cerebro relationship, and is demonstrating to be highly effective.

For him studyThe researchers treated nine dogs with drug -resistant epilepsy. “Each patient received FMT three times for a period of several weeks and was monitored during follow -up quotes,” said Dr. Suchodolski.

“After treatment, dogs showed significant improvements in their mental health, including reduced anxiety behavior and a better quality of life”, while the frequency of seizures did not change significantly, researchers noticed a definitive improvement in the mental well -being of dogs.

This indicates that fecal microbiota transplants for drug -resistant epilepsy in dogs are an effective approach.

“If you think about microbiome as a garden, FMT is like putting in a completely new ecosystem,” added Dr. Suchodolski. “You are adding several bacteria and other organisms to see if something changes.

“While we still do not understand the mechanism that causes these behavioral improvements, we hope to continue developing new ways to help patients with medication resistant diseases using microbiome science.”

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