Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
American bulldog with sudden kidney and liver failure from suspected
By Howard, Matthew·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2024·Ontario Veterinary College, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Acute kidney injury and liver disease in an American bulldog with suspected leptospirosis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old spayed female American bulldog was taken to the vet after showing signs of vomiting, lethargy, loss of appetite, yellowing of the skin, bloody diarrhea, and reduced urination for three days. Tests suggested she had acute kidney injury and liver disease, possibly due to leptospirosis, a bacterial infection. Despite starting treatment for leptospirosis, her condition worsened, and after three days in the hospital, her owners chose to euthanize her. This case highlights that diagnosing leptospirosis can be difficult, even when symptoms are typical.
People also search for: dog vomiting lethargy yellow skin · American bulldog kidney disease · leptospirosis treatment in dogs
Abstract
A 6-year-old spayed female American bulldog was brought to a veterinary clinic with a 3-day history of vomiting, lethargy, anorexia, icterus, hemorrhagic diarrhea, and oliguria. The dog's clinical signs, complete blood (cell) count, serum biochemistry, urinalysis, and diagnostic imaging were indicative of acute kidney injury and acute hepatopathy consistent with leptospirosis. Treatment for leptospirosis was initiated but, due to the dog's lack of response and progression of clinical signs, euthanasia was ultimately elected after 3 d of hospitalization. The dog tested negative forspp. on ELISA; urine, blood, and tissue PCRs; and immunohistochemistry. This case demonstrates that confirmation of leptospirosis can be challenging, even in an animal with the expected clinical presentation. Therefore, limitations of the diagnostic tests available, as well as the possibility of other, less likely differential diagnoses such as toxicosis, must be considered.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38562974/