There is an overview of the history, precautions, methodology, and current status of such work -- which in modern times began again with veterinary applications -- in humans in the most recent issue of Science that we have gotten. Given the difficulty treating IBD in ferrets, and the variations in cases thrown into that catch-pot, there may be vets wondering about fecal transplants from healthy ferrets or specific bacterial species by nasal tube, or by deep colonoscopy equipment (if the right size equipment currently exists for either approach -- and maybe it does given the mouse experiments). Science, Vol 341, 30 August 2013, pp 954-957 Also, on page 957 there is mention of Kenya Honda of U. Tokyo recently reported curing mice of both allergic diarrhea and colitis with 17 harmless Clostridium species that have been shown in previous studies to be good at utilizing T cells, regulating overactive immune responses. Since inflammation appears to play a role in a number of the ferret cases, and allergy in some that caught my eye. Note, these are NOT oral administrations under discussion in the article. Fecal transplants carry potential hazards. The sources used are screened for a range of diseases and conditions. (In some conditions, like autism, arteriosclerosis, and a number of others the microflora populations often differ from those of similar human populations that do not have those medical problems. Oh, and the intestinal "zoos" of healthy thin people tend to differ from those of healthy overweight and obese ones not only in proportions but also in types with healthy thin people having a wider number of types of organisms, and recent mouse work has shown that microbiome transplants in those study mice can cause thin mice to become heavier and heavy mice to become thinner. The thin microbes win out if the two populations are allowed to war in mice but ONLY if the diet is one containing enough healthy fibrous foods low in fats (especially saturated fats); the microbes associated with thinness lose when a diet of "junk food" -- high fat foods, low fiber diets like white bread ones (rather than whole grain breads) and/or ones low in fruits and vegetables, etc. is provided. That was not in the article but in a new study that received attention this week or last.) Anyway, I can not help but wonder when a vet will begin trying these sorts of approaches -- which are as different from giving oral probiotics as a modern Ferrari is from a Model T -- for ferrets who are not responding well enough to other approaches. The aim with this field of study is figure out the most beneficial organisms and for which conditions they have the best chance of being beneficial and then to eventually move into targeted additions of specific types of microflora for specific needs -- like Honda's work in Tokyo with those 17 harmless species that can reduce inflammation. Sukie (not a vet) Ferrets make the world a game. Recommended ferret health links: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/ http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ http://www.miamiferret.org/ http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/ all ferret topics: http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html "All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow." (2010, Steve Crandall) A nation is as free as the least within it. [Posted in FML 7905]