Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with liver infection and bile protozoa linked to raw food diet
By Allan, Frederik et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2022·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Biliary protozoa in a dog with acute cholangiohepatitis fed a raw food diet.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 1-year-old female Alaskan Malamute was brought to the vet because she wasn't eating well and had elevated liver enzyme levels. Tests showed she had cholangiohepatitis, an inflammation of the liver and bile ducts, and coccidia, a type of protozoa, were found in her bile. The dog was treated with a combination of antibiotics and liver support medications, and after six weeks, she fully recovered with normal liver function. This case highlights the potential risks of feeding raw food diets, as they can be linked to infections like this one.
People also search for: dog not eating · Alaskan Malamute liver disease · raw food diet dog health risks
Abstract
A 1-year 11-month intact female Alaskan Malamute fed a raw food diet was referred to the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals for further investigation of hyporexia and increased hepatobiliary enzyme activities. Clinicopathological and imaging findings were consistent with cholangiohepatitis, with coccidial zoites identified on bile cytology. Polymerase chain reaction and amplicon sequencing from the bile identified Hammondia heydorni, a Sarcocytid coccidial protozoa with an obligate 2-host life cycle. The dog was treated with clindamycin, marbofloxacin, ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and S-adenosylmethionine/silybin with complete clinical and biochemical resolution documented after 6 weeks. Infection with Hammondia spp. should be considered in patients receiving raw food diets in which coccidial zoites are identified in the bile, but the pathogenic potential of this organism is unknown and the possibility of its presence as a commensal cannot be discounted.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36178101/