Effects and Microbiota Changes Following Oral Lyophilized Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Capsules in Canine with Chronic Enteropathy After Parvovirus Infection: Case Report.

Abstract

(1) Background: Chronic enteropathy (CE) in canines is associated with persistent microbiome dysbiosis, and conventional therapies (e.g., special diets, antimicrobials, and immunosuppressive drugs) are sometimes ineffective. Currently, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has proven successful in treating CE in canines via invasive methods (e.g., enemas or endoscopy) or via oral frozen liquid capsules, which must be stored at -80 °C. However, due to the invasiveness of the administration methods and the storage constraints of the liquid capsules, FMT is not widely used in veterinary clinical practice. (2) Methods: The case of a four-year-old Siberian Husky with a three-year history of CE following canine parvovirus infection received lyophilized FMT capsules for thirty days. Stool samples were collected for metagenomic sequencing and quantification of fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), both pre- and post-FMT. Blood samples were analyzed using complete blood count (CBC) and biochemical testing. Ultrasound was used to assess the wall thickness of the stomach, duodenum, jejunum, and colon. (3) Results: Post-FMT, improvements in clinical outcomes were observed: fecal scores improved from 6 (unformed stools with mucus) to 2 (formed stool), and body weight increased by 8.3% (from 24.2 kg to 26.2 kg). Abnormal CBC and biochemical parameters were restored to reference ranges, including hematocrit (from 60.6% to 55.7%), hemoglobin (from 208 g/L to 190 g/L), creatinine (from 167 μmol/L to 121 μmol/L), and urea (from 11.9 mmol/L to 7.1 mmol/L). Ultrasound results showed that colonic wall thickness decreased from 0.23 ± 0.03 cm (pathological) to 0.18 ± 0.01 cm (physiological). Metagenomic analysis revealed that microbial richness (operational taxonomic units (OTUs) from 151 to 183) and diversity (Shannon and Simpson indices from 3.16 to 4.8 and from 0.87 to 0.94, respectively) all increased. The microbiota composition of the recipient exhibited a decline in the relative abundance of Firmicutes, falling from 99.84% to 35.62%, concomitant with an increase in Actinobacteria (from 0.08% to 4.78%), indicating a convergence toward a donor-like profile. Fecal SCFAs analysis revealed a 251.4% increase in propionate (from 0.0833 to 0.2929 mg/g) and elevated acetate (from 0.4425 to 0.4676 mg/g). These changes are functionally linked to enriched propanoate metabolism (Z = 0.89) in KEGG pathways. (4) Conclusions: Oral lyophilized FMT capsules resolved clinical signs of CE, enhanced microbial diversity and richness, and restored donor-like abundances of gut microbiota, particularly SCFA-producing taxa. Microbial restructuring increased microbial metabolite output, notably SCFA concentrations, and enriched functional metabolic pathways. Importantly, lyophilized FMT overcomes storage limitations and administration barriers, demonstrating its high clinical viability for treating canine CE.