Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Two dogs with swollen lymph nodes diagnosed with Bartonella henselae
By Morales, Sofia C et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2007·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Detection of Bartonella henselae DNA in two dogs with pyogranulomatous lymphadenitis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old mixed-breed dog was brought in for not eating and limping on the left back leg for one day. Another dog, a 5-year-old Labrador, had been experiencing a lack of appetite, fever, and swollen lymph nodes for two weeks. Both dogs were diagnosed with a condition called pyogranulomatous lymphadenitis, which was linked to the presence of Bartonella henselae bacteria. The first dog recovered after six weeks of treatment with doxycycline, while the second dog needed a combination of medications, including doxycycline, azithromycin, and prednisone, and also made a full recovery.
People also search for: dog not eating and limping · dog swollen lymph nodes treatment · Bartonella henselae in dogs
Abstract
CASE DESCRIPTION: 1 dog evaluated because of inappetence and lameness of the left hind limb of 1 day's duration and 1 dog evaluated because of inappetence, fever, and lymphadenopathy of 2 weeks' duration. CLINICAL FINDINGS: Histologic examination of excisional biopsy specimens from lymph nodes revealed pyogranulomatous lymphadenitis in both dogs. Quantitative real-time PCR assays detected Bartonella henselae DNA in blood samples and affected lymph node specimens from both dogs. Antibodies against B. henselae were not detected via immunofluorescent antibody testing during active disease in either dog. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: 1 dog recovered after 6 weeks of treatment with doxycycline (5 mg/kg [2.3 mg/lb], p.o., q 12 h), whereas the other dog recovered after receiving a combination of azithromycin (14.5 mg/kg [6.6 mg/lb], p.o., q 24 h for 21 days), doxycycline (17.3 mg/kg [7.9 mg/lb], p.o., q 24 h for 4 weeks), and immunosuppressive corticosteroid (prednisone [3 mg/kg {1.4 mg/lb}, p.o., q 24 h], tapered by decreasing the daily dose by 25% every 2 weeks) treatment. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: B. henselae is implicated as a possible cause or a cofactor in the development of pyogranulomatous lymphadenitis in dogs. In dogs with pyogranulomatous lymphadenitis, immunofluorescent assays may not detect antibodies against B. henselae. Molecular testing, including PCR assay of affected tissues, may provide an alternative diagnostic method for detection of B. henselae DNA in pyogranulomatous lymph nodes.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17331050/