CASE REPORT article
Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Medicine
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1560689
Oral fecal microbiota transplantation in a Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) suffering from chronic gastrointestinal disease -Procedure, clinical outcome and follow-up
Provisionally accepted
- University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany
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Introduction: Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is the process of transferring fecal microbiota from a healthy donor into the gastrointestinal tract of a recipient. Although many mechanisms of FMT are still not completely understood at present, it has been described that the treatment of various gastrointestinal diseases in different species, including humans, is significantly improved by FMT therapy. Since the first report on FMT therapy in veterinary medicine in small mammals numerous cases have been reported, but little information has been published on the therapeutic effects of FMT treatment in reptiles. The present case report describes the effects of orally administered fecal microbiota transplantation in a Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) suffering from chronic gastrointestinal disorders.Case presentation: A nine-year-old, 330g, intact female Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) from the animal owner´s own offspring was presented for consultation due to decreased general condition, anorexia and sialorrhea following oral intake of a lettuce species (Lactuca virosa) known for its poisonous plant ingredients (sesquiterpene lactones) three weeks prior to presentation. Pre-existing conditions were not reported. Clinical examination revealed sialorrhea and a reduced general condition. Diagnostic procedures included blood chemistry, radiography and ultrasonography. Despite repeated treatment attempts with various medical regimes over 158 days, the tortoise continued showing variable recurring gastrointestinal symptoms. An orally administered FMT was initiated and continued for a total of three weeks. Gastrointestinal signs improved rapidly within one week and resolved completely after three weeks. Over a follow up period of nine months, no symptom recurrence or adverse effects were monitored.This case report describes the first successful trial of fecal microbiota transplantation in chelonians. The outcome indicates that this therapeutic approach may be beneficial not only to small animals but also for the therapy of gastrointestinal disorders in reptiles, especially those cases with insufficient conventional therapy results.
Keywords: reptile, Tortoise, fecal microbiota transplantation, FMT, chronic gastrointestinal disease
Received: 14 Jan 2025; Accepted: 28 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Hetterich and Pees. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Johannes Hetterich, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany
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