[en] [en] BACKGROUND: Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and probiotics are used in equine practice. Understanding veterinarians' perceptions and practices is crucial for effective implementation.
OBJECTIVE: (1) Evaluate the prevalence, usage patterns and perceived effectiveness of probiotics and FMT among equine veterinarians in France and Belgium. (2) Assess their knowledge, practices and influencing factors across demographics and settings. (3) Explore links between FMT protocols and treatment satisfaction.
STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey.
METHODS: An online survey collected demographic data and responses on the use of probiotics and FMT. Analyses included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and logistic regression models.
RESULTS: Ninety-six equine veterinarians participated, practicing in Belgium (52.1%), France (39.6%) or both (8.3%). Probiotic use was reported by 82.1%, more frequent in field than clinical practice (odds ratio [OR] = 3.61, 95% CI [1.09, 12.02], p = 0.036) and in France than Belgium (OR = 5.08, 95% CI [1.44, 17.94], p = 0.012). Probiotics were used for chronic diarrhoea (88.0%), acute diarrhoea (67.6%) and inflammatory bowel diseases (45.9%). Most veterinarians (83.3%) defined probiotics well, but 16.7% misidentified non-probiotic products. FMT was used by 76.0%, mainly occasionally and therapeutically, more in clinical than field practice (OR = 4.79, 95% CI [1.03, 22.27], p = 0.046). In theory, 58.3% prioritized infection-free donors, but only 22.5% tested donors before FMT, mostly using coprology (93.8%). Those who tested donors reported higher perceived efficacy (p = 0.0029).
MAIN LIMITATIONS: Potential selection bias, as participation was voluntary. Generalizability might be limited by focus on France and Belgium. Sample size, while informative, should be expanded.
CONCLUSION: Probiotics and FMT were commonly used therapeutically by equine veterinarians in France and Belgium. Although probiotic use was widespread, some misunderstandings remained. FMT protocols varied, with donor faeces often untested. Treatment satisfaction was generally positive but estimated success rates varied. Standardized FMT protocols are needed to improve outcomes and consistency.
Disciplines :
Veterinary medicine & animal health
Author, co-author :
Loublier, Clémence ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals and Health (FARAH) > FARAH: Médecine vétérinaire comparée
Taminiau, Bernard ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals and Health (FARAH) > FARAH: Santé publique vétérinaire
Seidel, Laurence ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences de la santé publique
Moula, Nassim ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques > Méthodes expérimentales des animaux de laboratoire et éthique en expérimentation animale
Tano, Colombe ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'Enseignement et de Clinique des Equidés (DCE)
Cesarini, Carla; Equine Clinical Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium ; Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
Costa, Marcio; Department of Veterinary Biomedicine, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
Lecoq, Laureline ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals and Health (FARAH) > FARAH: Médecine vétérinaire comparée
Daube, Georges ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de sciences des denrées alimentaires (DDA) > Microbiologie des denrées alimentaires
Amory, Hélène ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals and Health (FARAH) > FARAH: Médecine vétérinaire comparée
Language :
English
Title :
Survey on Faecal Microbiota Transplantation and Probiotic Use in Equine Practice in France and Belgium.
Funding was provided by Fonds De La Recherche Scientifique\u2014FNRS (Veterinary MD. PhD. VETE\u2010CCD) and Fonds Sp\u00E9ciaux de Recherche (project name: REPOOPULATE).Funding was provided by Fonds De La Recherche Scientifique\u2014FNRS (Veterinary MD. PhD. VETE-CCD) and Fonds Sp\u00E9ciaux de Recherche (project name: REPOOPULATE). The authors would like to thank all the veterinarians who responded to our survey. We also gratefully acknowledge Dr. V. Delcenserie and Dr. F. Lafor\u00EAt for their valuable input regarding the probiotic's topic.
Arantes, J. A., R. Di Pietro, M. Ratté, L. G. Arroyo, M. Leclère, and M. C. Costa. 2025. “Changes in Bacterial Viability After Preparation and Storage of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Solution Using Equine Feces.” Peer Journal 13: e18860.
Baunwall, S. M. D., E. M. Terveer, J. F. Dahlerup, et al. 2021. “The Use of Faecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) in Europe: A Europe-Wide Survey.” Lancet Regional Health—Europe 9: 100181.
Bell, J., S. L. Raidal, R. S. Cuming, G. Trope, and K. J. Hughes. 2024. “Effects of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation on Clinical Outcomes and Fecal Microbiota of Foals With Diarrhea.” Veterinary Internal Medicine 38, no. 5: 2718–2728.
Benech, N., P. Legendre, L. Radoszycki, P. Varriale, and H. Sokol. 2022. “Patient Knowledge of Gut Microbiota and Acceptability of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Various Diseases.” Neurogastroenterology & Motility 34: e14320.
Berreta, A., C. R. Burbick, T. Alexander, C. Kogan, and J. J. Kopper. 2021. “Microbial Variability of Commercial Equine Probiotics.” Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 106: 103728.
Boscan, P., L. M. Van Hoogmoed, T. B. Farver, and J. R. Snyder. 2006. “Evaluation of the Effects of the Opioid Agonist Morphine on Gastrointestinal Tract Function in Horses.” American Journal of Animal and Veterinary Sciences 67, no. 6: 992–997.
Boucher, L., L. Leduc, M. Leclère, and M. C. Costa. 2024. “Current Understanding of Equine Gut Dysbiosis and Microbiota Manipulation Techniques: Comparison With Current Knowledge in Other Species.” Animals 14, no. 5: 758.
Boyle, A. G. 2021. “Respiratory Distress in the Adult and Foal.” Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice 37, no. 2: 311–325.
Brandt, L. J., and O. C. Aroniadis. 2013. “An Overview of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation: Techniques, Indications, and Outcomes.” Gastrointestinal Endoscopy 78, no. 2: 240–249.
Cammarota, G., G. Ianiro, C. R. Kelly, et al. 2019. “International Consensus Conference on Stool Banking for Faecal Microbiota Transplantation in Clinical Practice.” Gut 68, no. 12: 2111–2121.
Costa, M. C., L. G. Arroyo, E. Allen-Vercoe, et al. 2012. “Comparison of the Fecal Microbiota of Healthy Horses and Horses With Colitis by High Throughput Sequencing of the V3–V5 Region of the 16S rRNA Gene.” PLoS ONE 7, no. 7: e41484.
Costa, M. C., H. R. Stämpfli, L. G. Arroyo, E. Allen-Vercoe, R. G. Gomes, and J. Weese. 2015. “Changes in the Equine Fecal Microbiota Associated With the Use of Systemic Antimicrobial Drugs.” BMC Veterinary Research 11, no. 1: 19.
Costa, M., R. Di Pietro, J. A. Bessegatto, et al. 2021. “Evaluation of Changes in Microbiota After Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in 6 Diarrheic Horses.” Canadian Veterinary Journal 62, no. 10: 1123–1130.
Desrochers, A. M., B. A. Dolente, M. F. Roy, R. Boston, and S. Carlisle. 2005. “Efficacy of Saccharomyces boulardii for Treatment of Horses With Acute Enterocolitis.” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 227, no. 6: 954–959.
Destrez, A., P. Grimm, F. Cézilly, and V. Julliand. 2015. “Changes of the Hindgut Microbiota Due to High-Starch Diet Can be Associated With Behavioral Stress Response in Horses.” Physiology & Behavior 149: 159–164.
Dougal, K., G. de la Fuente, P. A. Harris, et al. 2014. “Characterisation of the Faecal Bacterial Community in Adult and Elderly Horses Fed a High Fibre, High Oil or High Starch Diet Using 454 Pyrosequencing.” PLoS ONE 9, no. 2: e87424.
Feary, D. J., and D. M. Hassel. 2006. “Enteritis and Colitis in Horses.” Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice 22, no. 2: 437–479.
Fernandes, K. A., S. Kittelmann, C. W. Rogers, et al. 2014. “Faecal Microbiota of Forage-Fed Horses in New Zealand and the Population Dynamics of Microbial Communities Following Dietary Change. Forster RJ, editor.” PLoS ONE 9 no. 11: e112846.
Hill, C., F. Guarner, G. Reid, et al. 2014. “The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics Consensus Statement on the Scope and Appropriate Use of the Term Probiotic.” Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology 11, no. 8: 506–514.
Ianiro, G., M. Maida, J. Burisch, et al. 2018. “Efficacy of Different Faecal Microbiota Transplantation Protocols for Clostridium difficile Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” UEG Journal 6, no. 8: 1232–1244.
John, J., K. Roediger, W. Schroedl, N. Aldaher, and I. Vervuert. 2015. “Development of Intestinal Microflora and Occurrence of Diarrhoea in Sucking Foals: Effects of Bacillus cereus Var. Toyoi Supplementation.” BMC Veterinary Research 11, no. 1: 34.
Kamada, N., S. U. Seo, G. Y. Chen, and G. Núñez. 2013. “Role of the Gut Microbiota in Immunity and Inflammatory Disease.” Nature Reviews Immunology 13, no. 5: 321–335.
Kinoshita, Y., H. Niwa, E. Uchida-Fujii, T. Nukada, and T. Ueno. 2022. “Simultaneous Daily Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Fails to Prevent Metronidazole-Induced Dysbiosis of Equine Gut Microbiota.” Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 114: 104004.
Laustsen, L., J. E. Edwards, G. D. A. Hermes, et al. 2021. “Free Faecal Water: Analysis of Horse Faecal Microbiota and the Impact of Faecal Microbial Transplantation on Symptom Severity.” Animals: An Open Access Journal From MDPI 11, no. 10: 2776.
Loublier, C., M. Costa, B. Taminiau, et al. 2025. “Longitudinal Changes in Fecal Microbiota during Hospitalization in Horses With Different Types of Colic.” Veterinary Internal Medicine 39, no. 2: e70039.
Loublier, C., B. Taminiau, J. Heinen, et al. 2023. “Evaluation of Bacterial Composition and Viability of Equine Feces After Processing for Transplantation.” Microorganisms 11, no. 2: 231.
Mach, N., A. Ruet, A. Clark, et al. 2020. “Priming for Welfare: Gut Microbiota Is Associated With Equitation Conditions and Behavior in Horse Athletes.” Scientific Reports 10, no. 1: 8311.
McKinney, C. A., D. Bedenice, A. P. Pacheco, et al. 2021. “Assessment of Clinical and Microbiota Responses to Fecal Microbial Transplantation in Adult Horses With Diarrhea.” PLoS ONE 16, no. 1: e0244381.
McKinney, C. A., B. C. M. Oliveira, D. Bedenice, et al. 2020. “The Fecal Microbiota of Healthy Donor Horses and Geriatric Recipients Undergoing Fecal Microbial Transplantation for the Treatment of Diarrhea.” PLoS ONE 15, no. 3: e0230148.
Mullen, K. R., K. Yasuda, T. J. Divers, and J. S. Weese. 2018. “Equine Faecal Microbiota Transplant: Current Knowledge, Proposed Guidelines and Future Directions.” Equine Veterinary Education 30, no. 3: 151–160.
Parraga, M. E., S. J. Spier, M. Thurmond, and D. Hirsh. 1997. “A Clinical Trial of Probiotic Administration for Prevention of Salmonella Shedding in the Postoperative Period in Horses With Colic.” Veterinary Internal Medicine 11, no. 1: 36–41.
Pietro, R. D., L. G. Arroyo, M. Leclere, and M. Costa. 2023. “Effects of Concentrated Fecal Microbiota Transplant on the Equine Fecal Microbiota After Antibiotic-Induced Dysbiosis.” Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research 87, no. 2: 85–96.
Quraishi, M. N., M. Widlak, N. Bhala, et al. 2017. “Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis: The Efficacy of Faecal Microbiota Transplantation for the Treatment of Recurrent and Refractory Clostridium difficile Infection.” Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics 46, no. 5: 479–493.
Ribeiro, G., A. Ferri, G. Clarke, and J. F. Cryan. 2022. “Diet and the Microbiota–Gut–Brain-Axis: A Primer for Clinical Nutrition.” Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care 25, no. 6: 443–450.
Salem, S. E., T. W. Maddox, P. Antczak, J. M. Ketley, N. J. Williams, and D. C. Archer. 2019. “Acute Changes in the Colonic Microbiota Are Associated With Large Intestinal Forms of Surgical Colic.” BMC Veterinary Research 15, no. 1: 468.
Schoster, A., H. R. Staempfli, L. G. Guardabassi, M. Jalali, and J. S. Weese. 2017. “Comparison of the Fecal Bacterial Microbiota of Healthy and Diarrheic Foals at Two and Four Weeks of Life.” BMC Veterinary Research 13, no. 1: 144.
Schoster, A., J. S. Weese, and L. Guardabassi. 2014. “Probiotic Use in Horses—What Is the Evidence for Their Clinical Efficacy?” Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 28, no. 6: 1640–1652.
Shaw, S. D., and H. Stämpfli. 2018. “Diagnosis and Treatment of Undifferentiated and Infectious Acute Diarrhea in the Adult Horse.” Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice 34, no. 1: 39–53.
Slykerman, R. F., F. Hood, K. Wickens, et al. 2017. “Effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 in Pregnancy on Postpartum Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety: a Randomised Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial.” EBioMedicine 24: 159–165.
Steelman, S. M., B. P. Chowdhary, S. Dowd, J. Suchodolski, and J. E. Janečka. 2012. “Pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA Genes in Fecal Samples Reveals High Diversity of Hindgut Microflora in Horses and Potential Links to Chronic Laminitis.” BMC Veterinary Research 8, no. 1: 231.
Sun, S., G. Chang, and L. Zhang. 2022. “The Prevention Effect of Probiotics Against Eczema in Children: An Update Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Journal of Dermatological Treatment 33, no. 4: 1844–1854.
Tanabe, S., T. Suzuki, Y. Wasano, et al. 2014. “Anti-Inflammatory and Intestinal Barrier–Protective Activities of Commensal Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria in Thoroughbreds: Role of Probiotics in Diarrhea Prevention in Neonatal Thoroughbreds.” Journal of Equine Science 25, no. 2: 37–43.
Theelen, M. J. P., R. E. C. Luiken, J. A. Wagenaar, M. M. S. van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan, J. W. A. Rossen, and A. L. Zomer. 2021. “The Equine Faecal Microbiota of Healthy Horses and Ponies in The Netherlands: Impact of Host and Environmental Factors.” Animals 11, no. 6: 1762.
Tuniyazi, M., W. Wang, Y. Fu, X. Hu, and N. Zhang. 2023. “A Systematic Review of Current Applications of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Horses.” Animals 13, no. 8: 1304.
Van Den Abbeele, P., P. Gérard, S. Rabot, et al. 2011. “Arabinoxylans and Inulin Differentially Modulate the Mucosal and Luminal Gut Microbiota and Mucin-Degradation in Humanized Rats.” Environmental Microbiology 13, no. 10: 2667–2680.
Ward, M. P., C. A. Alinovi, L. L. Couëtil, L. T. Glickman, and C. C. Wu. 2004. “A Randomized Clinical Trial Using Probiotics to Prevent Salmonella Fecal Shedding in Hospitalized Horses.” Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 24, no. 6: 242–247.
Weese, J. S. 2002. “Microbiologic Evaluation of Commercial Probiotics.” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 220, no. 6: 794–797.
Weese, J. S. 2025. “Evaluation of Publication Bias in the Assessment of Probiotic Treatment for Gastrointestinal Disease in Dogs and Cats.” Canadian Veterinary Journal 66, no. 3: 250–254.
Weese, J. S., S. J. Holcombe, R. M. Embertson, et al. 2015. “Changes in the Faecal Microbiota of Mares Precede the Development of Post Partum Colic.” Equine Veterinary Journal 47, no. 6: 641–649.
Weese, J. S., and J. Rousseau. 2005. “Evaluation of Lactobacillus Pentosus WE7 for Prevention of Diarrhea in Neonatal Foals.” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 226, no. 12: 2031–2034.
Williams, S., J. Horner, E. Orton, et al. 2015. “Water Intake, Faecal Output and Intestinal Motility in Horses Moved From Pasture to a Stabled Management Regime With Controlled Exercise.” Equine Veterinary Journal 47, no. 1: 96–100.
Willing, B., A. Vörös, S. Roos, C. Jones, A. Jansson, and J. E. Lindberg. 2009. “Changes in Faecal Bacteria Associated With Concentrate and Forage-Only Diets Fed to Horses in Training.” Equine Veterinary Journal 41, no. 9: 908–914.
Yuyama, T., S. Yusa, S. Takai, S. Tsubaki, Y. Kado, and M. Morotomi. 2004. “Evaluation of a Host-Specific Lactobacillus Probiotic in Neonatal Foals.” The International Journal of Applied Research in Veterinary Medicine 2, no. 1: 26–33.
