Assessing Fecal Microbiota Transplants for Weight Loss

The obesity epidemic is rampant in cats and ultimately results in physical impairment, comorbidities, and reduced quality of life and healthspan. Studies in other species suggest microbes living in the intestinal tract contribute to fat and weight gain, and manipulation of these gut microbiota may confer a health benefit to obese patients. To see if this holds true for cats, researchers will conduct a clinical trial assessing the efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as an adjunctive therapy in client-owned, healthy but obese cats. FMT is the transfer of feces from a healthy donor to a recipient that helps restore the gut’s beneficial microbiota as a pathway to better health. Findings from this clinical trial will help inform the development of precision microbiome-targeted therapies for weight loss management in cats.