Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Botulism C/D infection causing sudden weakness in two dogs
By Dubois, Alexandre et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2026·É, France·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Identification of botulism C/D in 2 dogspolymerase chain reaction.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Two dogs from the same household suddenly became weak and unable to stand, showing signs of flaccid tetraparesis, which means they had weakness in all four legs. After being taken to the veterinary hospital, both dogs received supportive care and made a full recovery within a month. Tests revealed they had botulism caused by a specific type of bacteria, which was likely linked to a sheep carcass they may have come into contact with. This case highlights the importance of testing for botulism in dogs showing similar symptoms.
People also search for: dog weakness all legs · botulism in dogs treatment · dog unable to stand recovery
Abstract
Two dogs from the same household were referred to the emergency service of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse for evaluation of acute onset of flaccid tetraparesis. At the time of presentation, the dogs were recumbent. Neurological examination revealed lower motor neuron deficits in all 4 limbs. Treatment consisted of supportive care. The 2 dogs recovered completely within 1 mo. Epidemiology, history, clinical signs, and clinical progression were suggestive of botulism. AsC/D was identified in the feces of both dogs using PCR, botulism was the most likely diagnosis. The source of contamination could not be determined; however, a sheep carcass in the dogs' environment was suspected. This case report details clinical signs, neurological examination findings, diagnostic test results, treatment, and outcome of 2 dogs with PCR-confirmedC/D infection. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first documented case of botulism C/D confirmed with PCR in dogs. Key clinical message: Testing with PCR should be incorporated into the diagnostic workups of dogs suspected of having botulism.
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/41586136/