Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pregnant dog with liver alveolar echinococcosis
By Corsten, Laura & Ganz, Sebastian·Published in Tierarztliche Praxis. Ausgabe K, Kleintiere/Heimtiere·2026·AniCura Kleintierzentrum Weingarten GmbH.·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: [Alveolar echinococcosis in a pregnant bitch - a case report].
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old unspayed female Labrador Retriever was brought to the vet with a swollen belly, excessive thirst, and frequent urination shortly after being artificially inseminated. After tests, she was diagnosed with alveolar echinococcosis, a serious liver infection caused by a parasite. The vet started her on a medication called albendazole, and despite the diagnosis, the owner chose to continue the pregnancy. She successfully gave birth to six healthy puppies, some delivered by cesarean section.
People also search for: pregnant dog swollen belly · Labrador echinococcosis treatment · dog excessive thirst and urination
Abstract
Alveolar echinococcosis is a significant zoonotic disease characterized by infiltrative growth of metacestodes in intermediate hosts. It is primarily located in the liver and is associated with a high mortality rate if left untreated. To the authors' knowledge, the present report describes the first case of alveolar echinococcosis in a pregnant dog documented in the literature.A five-year-old, unneutered female Labrador Retriever was presented shortly after artificial insemination with abdominal distension, polydipsia, and polyuria. Further examinations led to the diagnosis of alveolar echinococcosis and treatment with albendazole was initiated. At the owner's explicit request, the pregnancy was continued. Six viable puppies were delivered, a subset by caesarean section.This case describes the diagnostic and therapeutic options for alveolar echinococcosis and discusses the possible influences between pregnancy and echinococcosis with regard to therapy, disease progression, and prognosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41688129/