Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Esophagitis from Pythium infection causing swallowing trouble in two
By Patton, C S et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·1996·Department of Pathology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Esophagitis due to Pythium insidiosum infection in two dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Two dogs from rural Tennessee suffered from chronic esophagitis, which caused symptoms like weight loss, difficulty swallowing, and excessive drooling. They likely contracted the infection by drinking pond water contaminated with a harmful organism called Pythium insidiosum. Unfortunately, the diagnosis was only confirmed after both dogs had passed away, when tests showed the presence of the organism in their esophagus. This case highlights the importance of being cautious about where pets drink water, especially in rural areas.
People also search for: dog difficulty swallowing · dog weight loss causes · excessive drooling in dogs · Pythium insidiosum infection in dogs
Abstract
Chronic esophagitis due to Pythium insidiosum infection caused weight loss, dysphagia, and hypersalivation in 2 dogs from rural Tennessee. Although dog 1 presented for evaluation in December 1984 and dog 2 in October 1992, infection likely occurred during the previous summer by drinking fresh pond water containing zoospores. Hematologic testing revealed eosinophilia and hypergammaglobulinemia in one dog. An etiologic diagnosis was not made until postmortem evaluation when hyphae within necrotic and granulomatous cellular infiltrates in the esophageal wall were identified as P insidiosum by immunoperoxidase staining. Failure to culture the organism from the esophageal wall in dog 2 was attributed to refrigeration of the tissues, since refrigeration decreases the survivability of P insidiosum.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8743213/