Leptospira Australis infection in dogs and what affects recovery

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: We retrospectively evaluated the clinicopathologic findings and outcome predictors in dogs with Leptospira interrogans Australis serogroup infections. ANIMALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 159 dogs that had a leptospiral microscopic agglutination test (MAT) performed between 2001 and 2004 were reviewed. RESULTS: Twenty dogs met serologic criteria for either symptomatic (16 dogs) or asymptomatic (4 dogs) infection caused by Leptospira interrogans Australis serogroup. Seven of 16 symptomatic dogs died or were euthanized and 9/16 recovered. Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) was observed in 9/16 dogs. The presence of SIRS did not affect prognosis (P = .357). C-reactive protein (CRP) and haptoglobin (Hpt) concentrations were altered in all symptomatic dogs, but results did not differ significantly between survivors and nonsurvivors (P = .08 and P = .055, respectively). Conversely, the CRP to Hpt ratio (CRP/Hpt) was significantly increased in nonsurvivors. Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) was diagnosed in 7/16 dogs. DIC did not significantly affect outcome (P = .126). Multiple organ involvement was present with renal failure in 16/16, liver damage in 12/16, cardiac damage in 11/16, and muscular damage in 8/16 dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Among the evaluated clinicopathologic biomarkers, serum albumin, cardiac troponin I, CRP/Hpt, urinary albumin, and urinary total protein to creatinine ratio were found to predict outcome and warrant evaluation in larger prospective studies.