Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with fungal heart infection linked to systemic aspergillosis
By L. Kay Drake·Published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science·2025·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: Case report: Clinical fungal endocarditis as a component of presumptive systemic aspergillosis infection in a dog
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old mixed breed dog was brought to the vet because she was very lethargic, not eating, and had a new heart murmur. Tests showed she had serious kidney issues and an abnormal growth on her heart valve, indicating a fungal infection. Despite aggressive treatment, her condition worsened, and she developed breathing problems. Unfortunately, she was humanely euthanized, and further examination confirmed she had fungal endocarditis related to a systemic aspergillosis infection. This case highlights the importance of recognizing and diagnosing this serious condition in dogs.
People also search for: dog heart murmur treatment · mixed breed dog lethargy · systemic aspergillosis in dogs · dog kidney problems symptoms · dog breathing problems treatment
Abstract
A 2-year-old 26-kilogram female spayed mixed breed dog presented for acute azotemia, a new heart murmur, anorexia, and lethargy. Further workup revealed marked azotemia with bilateral renal changes on abdominal ultrasound. An echocardiogram detected vegetative lesion on the mitral valve, consistent with infective endocarditis. The patient tested positive for the galactomannan antigen (Aspergillus EIA Galactomannan Test by MiraVista) leading to a presumptive diagnosis of systemic aspergillosis. Despite aggressive treatment, the patient continued to deteriorate and developed signs of dyspnea which temporarily improved with furosemide therapy (VetOne; Boise, ID). After humane euthanasia, postmortem evaluation confirmed fungal endocarditis. This is the first published case of clinical endocarditis in a dog suspected to be from aspergillosis based on both antemortem diagnostics and postmortem pathology. Thus, this case serves to further our understanding of systemic aspergillosis manifestations which in turn can aid in prompt diagnosis and treatment of the condition.
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2025.1471231