Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How vets diagnose Helicobacter stomach infection in dogs
By Jankowski, M et al.·Published in Polish journal of veterinary sciences·2017·.·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: An evaluation of the usefulness of invasive and non-invasive methods used to diagnose Helicobacter spp. infections in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old mixed-breed dog was tested for a stomach infection caused by Helicobacter bacteria after showing signs of vomiting and stomach discomfort. Various tests were performed, including biopsies and PCR assays, to identify the infection. The most accurate method was a special biopsy test called nested PCR, which detected the bacteria in all tested dogs. For non-invasive testing, a saliva PCR test was also effective but less so than the biopsy. The study suggests that using multiple testing methods can help ensure accurate diagnosis of Helicobacter infections in dogs.
People also search for: dog vomiting Helicobacter infection · dog stomach problems diagnosis · non-invasive tests for dog infections
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the suitability of invasive and non-invasive methods used to diagnose Helicobacter spp. in the stomachs of dogs. The study was carried out on 30 dogs of both sexes and different breeds, between one and 15 years old. A histopathologic examination, a microbiological culture, a rapid urease test, a direct bacteriological preparation and a nested PCR assay were carried out. Gastric Helicobacter spp. was identified in gastric biopsy specimens from 16 (53.3%) dogs using direct bacteriological preparation, in four (13.3%) dogs based on a culture, in 23 (76.6%) dogs using the rapid urease test and in 21 (70,0%) dogs based on a histopathological assessment of the biopsy specimens. The nested PCR of the gastric biopsy specimens revealed gastric Helicobacter spp. in all the dogs (100%). A saliva PCR assay revealed gastric Helicobacter spp. in 23 (76.6%) dogs, while stool PCR revealed the bacterium in seven (23.3%) dogs. We found that invasive methods were more accurate than non-invasive methods in detecting a Helicobacter spp. infection in dogs. In addition, the nested PCR method used to evaluate the gastric mucosal biopsy specimens was the most accurate test for detecting Helicobacter spp. It was further found that the PCR-based saliva assay was the best non-invasive method for detecting Helicobacter spp. However, taking into consideration that most of the diagnostic methods used to detect this bacterium have drawbacks, at least two diagnostic methods should be used to detect Helicobacter spp. as is done in human medicine.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29166285/