Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with sudden vomiting and bloody diarrhea
By Dell'Orco, Marta et al.·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2005·Pronto Soccorso Veterinario, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Hemolytic-uremic syndrome in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old spayed female Boxer was brought to the vet after suddenly refusing to eat, vomiting, and having bloody diarrhea. Tests showed she had severe anemia, low platelet counts, and kidney failure. The vet treated her with fluids, anti-nausea medications, antibiotics, and diuretics, but unfortunately, her condition continued to decline. The owners made the difficult decision to euthanize her, and a post-mortem examination revealed serious damage to her kidneys and intestines. This case highlights a rare condition called hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), which can occur in dogs and is often linked to bacterial infections.
People also search for: dog vomiting and diarrhea · Boxer kidney failure symptoms · hemolytic-uremic syndrome in dogs
Abstract
A 3-year-old, spayed, female Boxer was presented because of acute onset of anorexia, vomiting, and hemorrhagic diarrhea. Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia with intravascular hemolysis, thrombocytopenia, and acute renal failure were detected. The dog was treated with fluids, antiemetics, antibiotics, and diuretics. Despite supportive therapy, the dog's condition worsened, and the owners elected euthanasia. Necropsy revealed disseminated petechiae on the parietal peritoneum and serosal surfaces of the intestinal tract. The histologic lesions were consistent with severe arteritis and microvascular thrombosis involving only the renal and intestinal arterioles. The final diagnosis was hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), a rarely described disorder in dogs. The clinical presentation of primarily gastrointestinal clinical signs was similar to that of typical or diarrhea-associated HUS (D+ HUS) in humans (mainly children), which is caused by gastrointestinal proliferation of verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli. Bacterial toxins can be adsorbed and cause endothelial injury, activation of hemostasis, and thrombosis, with lesions confined primarily to the kidneys. Although rare, HUS should be considered in the differential diagnosis of dogs with microangiopathic hemolytic anemia.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16134076/