Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cryptosporidiosis, coccidiosis, and total colonic mucosal collapse in an immunosuppressed puppy.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association
- Year:
- 1999
- Authors:
- Willard, M D & Bouley, D
- Affiliation:
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery · United States
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An eight-week-old puppy was suffering from ongoing diarrhea and was found to have infections from two opportunistic germs, cryptosporidiosis and coccidiosis, along with a serious condition where the lining of the colon collapsed. Tests showed that the puppy's immune system was weak, which likely allowed these infections to take hold. The treatment involved strong antibiotics, but this may have led to the severe damage in the colon. Additionally, a medication given to help with dehydration might have caused kidney failure, which ultimately led to the puppy's death.
Abstract
An eight-week-old puppy with chronic diarrhea was diagnosed with simultaneous opportunistic pathogens (i.e., cryptosporidiosis, coccidiosis) and total colonic mucosal collapse. Lack of lymphoid follicles in the spleen and lymph nodes suggested a primary underlying immunosuppression that most likely permitted infection with these pathogens. Intensive antibiotic therapy was most likely responsible for the severe colonic lesion, and bismuth subsalicylate administration in this severely dehydrated puppy may have contributed to renal failure as the ultimate cause of death.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10493416/