Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat in Brazil with giant kidney worm in abdomen and jaundice
By Verocai, Guilherme G et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2009·Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Dioctophyme renale (Goeze, 1782) in the abdominal cavity of a domestic cat from Brazil.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A female domestic cat in Brazil was brought to the vet showing severe symptoms including weakness, dehydration, yellowing of the skin (jaundice), and fluid buildup in the abdomen (ascites). Unfortunately, despite the vet's efforts, the cat's condition worsened rapidly, and she passed away within a few days. A necropsy revealed a giant kidney worm, measuring nearly 25 cm, in her abdominal cavity, marking the first confirmed case of this parasite in a domestic cat. This case highlights that the giant kidney worm is not a suitable parasite for cats.
People also search for: cat jaundice causes · cat dehydration treatment · giant kidney worm in cats · cat abdominal fluid buildup · symptoms of peritonitis in cats
Abstract
This study reports a case of parasitism by the giant kidney worm, Dioctophyme renale (Goeze, 1782), in the abdominal cavity of a domestic cat from Brazil. A female adult cat presenting prostration, dehydration, physical debility, pronounced jaundice and ascitis, was taken to the Department of Animal Parasitology of the Veterinary Institute of the Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Clinical signs suggested a case of peritonitis. The cat's clinical condition was grave and death occurred within a few days. During necropsy, a brownish-red nematode, 24.9cm long, was found in the abdominal cavity and was identified as a male adult D. renale. This study reports the first confirmed case of dioctophymatosis in the domestic cat. The parasite's aberrant location in the abdominal cavity suggests that the domestic cat is not a suitable host.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19285807/