Fecal transplants in dogs with parvovirus | VETgirl Veterinary Continuing Education Podcasts

In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we review the use of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as an exciting new treatment for diarrhea secondary to canine parvovirus (CPV). You may be wondering, what is an FMT? It is actually a fairly simple procedure that is being performed with increasing frequency in both human and animal medicine. The procedure involves transferring fecal material from a healthy donor dog to a recipient patient in order to restore a healthy microbial population (Chaitman). We know that there is a vast and complex array of microorganisms populating the gastrointestinal tract, and maintenance of this microbiota is critical for overall intestinal health (Khanna). A number of primary gastrointestinal diseases, medications (particularly antibiotics), and other systemic health issues can disrupt this complex population, contributing to clinical decline in our patients.