Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
German shepherd dog with chronic diarrhea linked to yeast
By Milner, R J et al.·Published in Journal of the South African Veterinary Association·1997·Department of Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Chronic episodic diarrhoea associated with apparent intestinal colonisation by the yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida famata in a German shepherd dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old German shepherd was brought in for lifelong episodes of diarrhea, which was thought to be caused by a food allergy. The dog had been on antibiotics for most of its life and had also taken a probiotic containing a type of yeast for a year before being referred to the vet. Tests on the dog's stool revealed the presence of two types of yeast, which are usually harmless but can sometimes cause issues in animals with certain health conditions. The findings suggest that the dog's long-term antibiotic and probiotic use may have allowed these yeasts to grow in the intestines.
People also search for: dog diarrhea causes · German shepherd food allergy · probiotics for dogs diarrhea
Abstract
A 3-year-old German shepherd dog was presented with a history of lifelong episodic diarrhoea. An adverse reaction to food was considered the most likely cause of the diarrhoea. The dog had received prolonged antibiotic therapy for most of its life as well as receiving probiotics containing the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (syn. S. boulardi) for a year before referral. The probiotic was discontinued 2 months before to referral. Examination and culture of faecal samples identified yeast-like organisms, S. cerevisiae and Candida famata. S. cerevisiae has been isolated from humans in association with predisposing conditions such as prolonged sojourns in hospital, immunosuppression, broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy and prosthetic devices, but is regarded as non-pathogenic in humans and is rarely associated with disease in animals. C. famata has been isolated from animals, humans and the environment, but is regarded as a very rare pathogen. No evidence of immunosuppression was found in the dog. The presence of yeasts in the faecal isolates and the history of prolonged use of antibiotics and probiotics with a concurrent adverse reaction to food, suggest that conditions may have occurred within the bowel that made it possible for the yeasts to colonise parts of it. This has apparently not been reported before.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9561501/