Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with infected fluid around heart after dental work
By Lobetti, R G·Published in Journal of the South African Veterinary Association·2007·Bryanston Veterinary Hospital·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Anaerobic bacterial pericardial effusion in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old male cat was brought in because he was losing weight and was found to have fluid around his heart, known as pericardial effusion. The fluid was caused by an infection from a type of bacteria that usually lives in the mouth, likely due to a recent dental procedure. After starting antibiotics, the cat's condition improved, and the fluid around his heart completely resolved.
People also search for: cat weight loss · cat heart fluid treatment · cat dental procedure complications
Abstract
A 9-year-old male cat was presented for evaluation of chronic weight loss and was subsequently diagnosed with pericardial effusion. The effusion was quantified as a septic exudate caused by the anaerobic bacterium Peptostreptococcus. Antibiotic therapy resulted in complete resolution of the pericardial effusion. As Peptostreptococcus is a common oral bacterium and the cat had a previous dental procedure, it is speculated that the pericardial effusion was secondary to bacteraemia from the dental procedure.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18237044/