Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Two dogs with joint pain and seroma had two Bartonella infections
By Diniz, Pedro Paulo Vissotto de Paiva et al.·Published in Veterinary microbiology·2009·North Carolina State University, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Co-isolation of Bartonella henselae and Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii from blood, joint and subcutaneous seroma fluids from two naturally infected dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old mixed-breed dog was brought in for severe joint pain that had been getting worse over time. Despite nearly four months of antibiotic treatment, tests revealed that the dog was infected with two types of bacteria, Bartonella henselae and Bartonella vinsonii, which were found in its blood and joint fluid. Another dog presented with a serious fluid buildup due to trauma, and it also tested positive for the same bacteria. Both cases highlight the importance of specialized testing to identify these infections, even when standard antibody tests are negative. Treatment options may need to be adjusted based on these findings.
People also search for: dog joint pain treatment · Bartonella infection in dogs · dog seroma fluid causes
Abstract
This report describes the clinical presentation, isolation and treatment of two dogs naturally infected with Bartonella henselae and Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii. Chronic and progressive polyarthritis was the primary complaint for dog #1, from which B. henselae and B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii were cultured on three independent occasions from blood and joint fluid samples, despite administration of nearly 4 months of non-consecutive antibiotic therapy. A clinically atypical and progressively severe trauma-associated seroma was the primary complaint for dog #2, from which B. henselae and B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii were isolated from serum, blood and seroma fluid. Dogs can be co-infected with two Bartonella spp. and infection with these organisms should not be ruled out if specific antibodies are not detected. Specialized culture techniques should be used for isolation and to assess antibiotic efficacy.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19560291/