Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with widespread Prototheca infection and spinal disk inflammation
By Manino, Paul M et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2014·College Station, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Disseminated protothecosis associated with diskospondylitis in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old female Labrador retriever was brought in because she suddenly had trouble walking and was tilting her head to one side. The vet found signs of serious issues, including retinal detachment and problems in her spine, and tests showed she had a yeast infection. Despite starting treatment with voriconazole, her condition worsened, and she was ultimately euthanized due to a poor prognosis. A postmortem examination revealed that she had a rare infection caused by a type of algae, which was likely the main issue. Unfortunately, the antifungal treatment did not help her recover.
People also search for: dog head tilt · Labrador walking problems · voriconazole for dog yeast infection · dog spinal infection treatment · why is my dog tilting her head
Abstract
A 6 yr old female Labrador retriever was evaluated for an acute onset of difficulty walking and a head tilt. Initial physical examination revealed bilateral retinal detachment, a left-sided head tilt, positional rotary nystagmus, and lumbar hyperpathia. Pertinent preliminary diagnostic findings included systemic hypertension, bony lysis and adjacent sclerosis of the vertebral endplates of the first and second lumbar vertebrae, and positive urine and blood cultures for a yeast identified as Candida spp. Concerned about disseminated candidiasis after subsequent subretinal aspirates confirmed the presence of a yeast-like organism, therapy with voriconazole was initiated. Because of progressive clinical deterioration and the poor prognosis for recovery, the dog was eventually euthanized. Postmortem histological examination of tissues, including the affected vertebral endplates, revealed numerous intralesional algae compatible with Prototheca spp. To the authors' knowledge, this report is the first to document a case of protothecal diskospondylitis with possible concurrent candidiasis in a dog. Although typically associated with signs referable to the gastrointestinal tract, this report underscores the importance of not excluding protothecosis as a differential diagnosis when such signs are absent. Lastly, the use of voriconazole appears ineffective for reversing the clinical course of late-stage disseminated protothecosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25251425/