Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Young dog with fatal Mycobacterium avium infection and enlarged liver
By O'Toole, D et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc·2005·Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Fatal mycobacteriosis with hepatosplenomegaly in a young dog due to Mycobacterium avium.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old Shih Tzu-Poodle mix was brought to the vet with symptoms like anemia, abdominal pain, lethargy, and an enlarged spleen. After testing, it was found that the dog had a rare infection caused by Mycobacterium avium, which is usually uncommon in dogs. Despite treatment efforts, the dog's condition worsened over two months, leading to severe liver and intestinal issues. Unfortunately, the decision was made to euthanize the dog due to the severity of the disease.
People also search for: dog anemia symptoms · Shih Tzu-Poodle infection · Mycobacterium avium in dogs · dog lethargy and abdominal pain · dog euthanasia decision
Abstract
Cases of disseminated Mycobacterium avium infections in dogs are rare because it appears that the species is innately resistant to infection. A 2-year-old, castrated, 5 kg Shih Tzu-Poodle-cross developed anemia, abdominal pain, lethargy, and splenomegaly. Histological examination of surgically removed spleen indicated marked granulomatous splenitis with myriad intracytoplasmic acid-fast bacterial rods. Ultrastructural examination revealed the presence of 3-4-microm-long mycobacteria in phagolysosomes of epithelioid macrophages. Tissue extract of lightly fixed spleen was positive for M. avium 16S ribosomal RNA and negative for M. tuberculosis complex IS6110 DNA by polymerase chain reaction testing. Anemia was associated with the presence of mycobacteria-infected macrophages in bone marrow. The animal's condition deteriorated, and euthanasia was performed after a clinical course of 2 months. The principal morphological findings at necropsy were severe diffuse granulomatous hepatitis, enteric lymphadenomegaly, and segmental granulomatous enteritis with intralesional mycobacteria present. Mycobacterium avium was cultured from enteric lymph nodes sampled at necropsy. The source of infection was not established but was presumed to be environmental with an enteric portal of entry.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15825507/