Current Understanding of Equine Gut Dysbiosis and Microbiota Manipulation Techniques: Comparison with Current Knowledge in Other Species.
Authors: Boucher Laurie, Leduc Laurence, Leclère Mathilde, Costa Marcio Carvalho
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
Equine intestinal microbiota composition is influenced by multiple factors including age, diet, antibiotic exposure, and geographic location, yet substantial intra- and inter-individual variability in faecal microbiota profiles has prevented researchers from establishing a standardised clinical definition of dysbiosis in horses. This 2024 review synthesises current evidence on how gut dysbiosis may contribute to disease pathogenesis—particularly in colitis and equine asthma—whilst examining detection methodologies and evaluating the efficacy of microbiota manipulation strategies including prebiotics, probiotics, and faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). Although definitive causal links between dysbiosis and specific equine diseases remain incompletely characterised, emerging research indicates that targeted microbiota modulation could become an evidence-based approach for preventing or treating conditions such as antibiotic-associated colitis. For practitioners, this represents a significant opportunity: understanding which factors disrupt individual horses' microbiota and how to selectively intervene offers potential to move beyond reactive treatment towards microbiota-informed preventative strategies, particularly following antimicrobial therapy. The review highlights that whilst FMT, prebiotics, and probiotics show promise, further standardisation of dysbiosis diagnosis and robust efficacy studies specific to equine patients remain essential before these interventions can be routinely incorporated into clinical protocols.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Recognize that antibiotic use is a major dysbiosis risk factor—consider microbiota-sparing alternatives and use fecal microbiota transplantation or probiotics as preventive/therapeutic options for colitis cases
- •Understand that individual variation in microbiota composition is normal; baseline characterization may help detect clinically relevant dysbiosis in problem cases
- •Diet and management factors significantly influence microbiota—dietary adjustments and environmental consistency should be primary interventions before considering microbial modulation therapies
Key Findings
- •Age, diet, antibiotic administration, and geographic location significantly affect equine gut microbiota composition
- •High intra- and inter-individual variability in equine fecal microbiota complicates dysbiosis interpretation and establishment of clear diagnostic criteria
- •Dysbiosis may play a role in pathogenesis of colitis and asthma, though definitive causal relationships remain unclear
- •Prebiotics, probiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation show potential for preventing or treating dysbiosis-related diseases such as antibiotic-induced colitis