Can Faecal Transplants Help Manage Anxiety in Dogs with Epilepsy?

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Managing behavioural issues such as anxiety and fear in dogs, especially those with epilepsy can be challenging for dog guardians. Research from Duke University, published in Frontiers of Veterinary Science, investigated whether transferring gut bacteria from healthy donors to dogs with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) could help manage behavioural issues. The outcomes provide a new perspective on the gut-brain connection.

The background

The study by Watanangura and colleagues (2024) involved the use of FMT and dogs. This was a joint effort between Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) and the Center for Systems Neuroscience in Hannover, Germany. The study focused on ten dogs with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) which is a severe form of epilepsy unresponsive to standard medications. These dogs also exhibited behavioural issues like anxiety and fear. The researchers wanted to determine if FMT could alleviate these behavioural symptoms by altering the dogs’ gut microbiota. Each dog received three FMT treatments over six weeks, and their progress was monitored for six months. The researchers wanted to understand whether FMT could have a positive impact on the behavioural challenges often seen in dogs with epilepsy.

What did the study reveal?

The study found significant reductions in anxiety and fear behaviours among the dogs post-FMT. Behavioural assessments, including questionnaires completed by the dog owners, indicated that the dogs were calmer and less reactive in social situations. By three months after treatment, dogs exhibited reduced fear of loud noises, strangers, and other stressors.

Consequently, the quality of life for both the dogs and their owners improved, with fewer episodes of extreme anxiety reported. Owners noted a decrease in the intensity of fear-based behaviours, such as hiding or excessive barking, which made everyday interactions and outings less stressful.

While the FMT showed promise in addressing behavioural issues, its effect on seizure control was limited. Most dogs did not show significant reductions in seizure frequency or severity, suggesting that FMT may complement but not replace conventional epilepsy treatments. Nevertheless, FMT was generally well-tolerated by the dogs, with only two experiencing mild, short-lived side effects such as restlessness and bloating – suggesting FMT could be a relatively safe approach for dogs suffering from behavioural issues linked to epilepsy.

Additionally, the researchers also observed changes in the gut bacteria of the dogs, with a noted decrease in specific bacteria associated with anxiety-like behaviours. Although the exact mechanisms remain unclear, these findings suggest that gut health plays a critical role in influencing behaviour, and supports previous findings.

This study also illustrates how gut microbiome plays a crucial role in the overall health of dogs, acting as a central regulator of various bodily systems (Rindels and Loman, 2024). While these systems, such as the immune, digestive, and nervous systems, are distinct in structure, they are deeply interconnected through complex physiological pathways. Factors such as diet, stress levels, immune function, and medication use all influence an animal’s overall well-being (Niu et al., 2022), and at the heart of this intricate balance lies the gut microbiome. By shaping immune responses, digestion, and even mental health (e.g. via behaviour modification programmes, improved enrichment and exercise), the gut microbiome serves as a key player in maintaining systemic health in companion animals. See figure from Rindels and Loman (2024).

The gut and the feel-good factor

The gut microbiome plays a critical role in regulating serotonin levels, which can significantly impact a dog’s behaviour. Serotonin, often referred to as the “feel-good” neurotransmitter, is essential for mood regulation, anxiety control, and emotional stability. Data indicates that around 90% of the body’s serotonin is produced in the intestines, where it helps regulate digestion, gut motility, and blood flow (Pilla and Suchodolski, 2020). The gut microbiota directly influences serotonin production (Legan et al., 2022), certain bacteria can synthesise serotonin themselves, while others modulate its availability by affecting tryptophan (its amino acid precursor).

Research has shown that disruptions in gut microbiota can lead to altered serotonin levels (Kiełbik and Witkowska-Piłaszewicz, 2024), potentially affecting behaviour. For example, in animal models, germ-free mice, which lack a normal microbiome, exhibit excessive motor activity and reduced anxiety responses. When their gut is repopulated with healthy bacteria, their behaviour normalises, reinforcing the idea that a balanced microbiome is crucial for mental and emotional stability. Hence, this growing body of research suggests that optimising gut health in dogs could have significant effects not only on their physical well-being, it could also help with behavioural issues including stress-related problems, fear, and other over-reactive responses.

So what does this all mean for dog guardians?

The findings of the Watanangura et al. (2024) study highlight the influencing role gut health has on dogs’ behaviour. If your dog is experiencing behavioural issues such as anxiety, stress, fear, etc., then supporting your dog’s gut health through a well-balanced diet, appropriate feeding regimes to reduce ‘hanger’ and gut stress, as well as probiotics, faecal sampling to rule out any nasties, and/or FMT could be worth exploring with your vet, along with the support of a certified registered behaviourist. Check out the Animal Behaviour & Training Council’s Practitioner Directory for behaviourists in your area.

And while it is important to note that this study has promising results, there are always limitations with studies. In this case, it was a pilot study involving a small number of dogs and owners reported on their dogs – such factors could bias results. So, further studies with larger groups, mixed methods of reporting etc., would help to validate these findings. Additionally, the precise link between gut bacteria and behaviour requires more investigation to fully understand how these changes impact mental health. Future research opportunities could explore whether FMT might benefit other behavioural conditions or whether combined approaches, including diet and behavioural therapies, enhance the overall effects. Understanding the long-term impacts of FMT and how frequently it needs to be administered will also be crucial for making it a viable treatment option for broader use.

Key takeaway

While FMT is already used in human medicine and been shown to be highly effective (Kelly et al., 2021), it is still in the early stages as a treatment for canine behavioural issues, and this latest research adds to the growing evidence that highlight the gut-brain connection and how this plays a significant role in overall health and behaviour.

References

• Kelly, C.R., Yen, E.F., Grinspan, A.M., Kahn, S.A., Atreja, A., Lewis, J.D., Moore, T.A., Rubin, D.T., Kim, A.M., Serra, S., Nersesova, Y., Fredell, L., Hunsicker, D., McDonald, D., Knight, R., Allegretti, J.R., Pekow, J., Absah, I., Hsu, R., Vincent, J., Khanna, S., Tangen, L., Crawford, C.V., Mattar, M.C., Chen, L.A., Fischer, M., Arsenescu, R.I., Feuerstadt, P., Goldstein, J., Kerman, D., Ehrlich, A.C., Wu, G.D., Laine, L. (2020) Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Is Highly Effective in Real-World Practice: Initial Results From the FMT National Registry. Gastroenterology. 160(1)pp.183-192.e3. https://doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2020.09.038. PMCID: PMC8034505.
• Kiełbik, P., Witkowska-Piłaszewicz, O. (2024) The Relationship between Canine Behavioral Disorders and Gut Microbiome and Future Therapeutic Perspectives. Animals. 12;14(14):2048. https://doi: 10.3390/ani14142048. PMCID: PMC11273744.
• Legan, T.B., Lavoie, B., Mawe, G.M. (2022) Direct and indirect mechanisms by which the gut microbiota influence host serotonin systems. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 34(10)e14346. https://doi: 10.1111/nmo.14346. PMID: 35246905
• Niu, X., Ding, Y., Chen, S., Gooneratne, R., Ju, X. (2022) Effect of Immune Stress on Growth Performance and Immune Functions of Livestock: Mechanisms and Prevention. Animals. 12, 909. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12070909
• Pilla R., and Suchodolski, J.S. (2020) The Role of the Canine Gut Microbiome and Metabolome in Health and Gastrointestinal Disease. Frontiers in Veterinary Sciences. 14(6)p.498. https://doi: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00498  
• Rindels, J.E., and Loman, B.R. (2024) Gut microbiome – the key to our pets’ health and happiness?Animal Frontiers, 14(3) pp.46–53. https://doi.org/10.1093/af/vfae015
• Veterinary Practice News (2024). Fecal Transplants Show Promise as an Epilepsy Treatment in Dogs.
• Watanangura, A., Meller, S., Farhat, N., Suchodolski, J.S., Pilla, R., Khattab, M.R, Lopes, B.C., Bathen-Nöthen, A., Fischer, A., Busch-Hahn, K., Flieshardt, C., Gramer, M., Richter, F.,Zamansky, A. Volk, H.A (2024) Behavioral comorbidities treatment by fecal microbiota transplantation in canine epilepsy: a pilot study of a novel therapeutic approach. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 11:1385469. https://doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1385469