Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Systemic Aspergillosis and Spine Infection in a German Shepherd Dog
By Bordoni, Talita et al.·Published in Veterinary medicine and science·2025·Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: First Description of Atypical Aspergillus floccosus as Cause of Canine Systemic Aspergillosis With Discospondylitis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old spayed female German Shepherd was brought in with neck pain, difficulty walking, and lameness in her left front leg that had been worsening over two weeks. The vet discovered that she had a rare fungal infection called systemic aspergillosis, caused by an atypical strain of Aspergillus floccosus. This condition was linked to discospondylitis, an infection of the spine. The dog was treated with antifungal medication, which is crucial for managing such infections, even if symptoms seem mild. With proper treatment, the dog’s condition can improve, but ongoing care is essential to prevent serious complications.
People also search for: German Shepherd neck pain · dog walking problems · antifungal treatment for dogs · systemic aspergillosis in dogs · discospondylitis in dogs
Abstract
Disseminated aspergillosis is uncommon in dogs and typically caused by Aspergillus terreus. This report describes a systemic aspergillosis linked to discospondylitis in an 8-year-old spayed female German Shepherd presented with a 2-week history of neck pain, progressive proprioceptive ataxia and ambulatory paraparesis and lameness of the left front limb. For the first time, an atypical strain of Aspergillus floccosus, section Terrei, was identified by culture and molecular methods. This finding emphasises the importance of molecular biology in fungal species identification, which is essential for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Our report further highlights that fungal infections should always be considered in German Shepherds with neurological signs, and the importance of maintaining antifungal therapy even in patients with few or no clinical or laboratory signs of active infection to prevent deterioration and death.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40515690/