Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog in Costa Rica with esophageal worm and bone swelling from lung
By de Aguiar, Ivana et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports·2021·Clí·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Esophageal spirocercosis with pulmonary egg deposition and secondary hypertrophic osteopathy in a dog from Costa Rica.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 1-year-old dog in Costa Rica was brought to the vet with weight loss and diarrhea. During the exam, the vet found thickened limbs and masses in the lungs and esophagus. Tests showed the presence of a parasite called Spirocerca lupi, which was causing these issues. The dog was treated with a medication called doramectin, which initially helped, but the dog later experienced regurgitation and vomited a worm. After further treatment, the dog's symptoms improved, but pet owners should be aware of this parasite if their dog shows similar signs.
People also search for: dog weight loss and diarrhea · Spirocerca lupi treatment · dog regurgitation causes
Abstract
Spirocerca lupi is the etiologic agent of spirocercosis in canids from the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. A 1-year-old dog was presented with weight loss and diarrhea. Upon examination, thickened limbs, a mass in the lung's right middle lobe and an esophageal mass were found. The pulmonary mass aspirate revealed S. lupi eggs surrounded by a purulent infiltrate. Limb bone biopsies showed irregular mineralization and cartilaginous metaplasia. Treatment with doramectin resolved the initial clinical signs. However, regurgitation was reported 5 months later. Therefore, the dog received additional doramectin and later vomited a worm morphologically consistent with a S. lupi adult. Herein we report the esophageal migration of S. lupi with egg deposition to the lung parenchyma, accompanied by secondary hypertrophic osteopathy. This report highlights the presence of S. lupi in Costa Rica and the importance of including this parasite as a differential diagnosis when compatible signs are identified.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33678365/