Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Labrador with rare bacterial infection causing joint and spine pain
By Ostronic, Abby Lynn et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2023·Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital (A.L.O.·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Brevundimonas vesicularis isolation from a Labrador Retriever with Bacteremia, Endocarditis, Spinal Epidural Empyema, and Polyarthritis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old spayed female Labrador Retriever was brought to the vet because she was having trouble walking, seemed lethargic, had joint pain, and was running a fever. After various tests, the vet found she had a serious infection in her blood and heart, along with fluid in her spine and painful joints. The dog was treated with a long course of antibiotics for 10 months, and thankfully, her symptoms improved significantly. This case highlights a rare infection caused by Brevundimonas vesicularis, which was found alongside another common bacteria.
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Abstract
A 7 yr old spayed female Labrador retriever was evaluated for progressive nonambulatory tetraparesis, obtundation, joint pain, and pyrexia. The dog was diagnosed with spinal epidural empyema, bacteremia, endocarditis, and polyarthritis based on magnetic resonance imaging, echocardiography, joint fluid analysis, and blood culture. Blood culture isolated a rare and atypical pathogen, Brevundimonas vesicularis in conjunction with Escherchia coli. The patient was treated with a 10 mo antibiotic course, and clinical signs quickly resolved. This is the first report of B vesicularis in association with bacteremia, endocarditis, spinal empyema, and polyarthritis in a dog.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36853917/