Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Intestinal pythiosis causing vomiting and diarrhea in a young dog
By Mendoza, Leonel et al.·Published in Mycopathologia·2005·Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Intestinal canine pythiosis in Venezuela confirmed by serological and sequencing analysis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 11-month-old male mixed Terrier from Venezuela was brought to the vet with signs of depression, not eating, vomiting, and diarrhea that had started a month earlier. Despite treatment with antibiotics and vitamins, his condition worsened, and tests showed issues in his small intestine. Unfortunately, he passed away before a clear diagnosis could be made. Later tests confirmed he had a rare infection caused by a water mold called Pythium insidiosum, marking the first confirmed case of this disease in dogs in Venezuela.
People also search for: dog vomiting and diarrhea · Terrier depression treatment · Pythium insidiosum infection in dogs
Abstract
An 11-months-old mixed Terrier male originally from Venezuela, was referred to a Veterinary Hospital with signs of depression, anorexia, vomiting and diarrhea. The illness had begun 1 month earlier. Despite antibiotic chemotherapy and vitamins, the disease progressed. Radiological exams showed involvement of the small intestine. Histopathological studies of tissue samples taken during surgical intervention revealed eosinophilic areas in the center of which, abundant eosinophils, histiocytes and giant cells were observed. Silver stained cross-sections of the small intestine showed slender sparsely septate hyphae within the necrotic areas. Attempts to isolate the etiologic agent in pure culture were fruitless. The dog died without a definitive diagnosis. Fixed tissue samples of the small intestine were later investigated using specific fluorescent antibodies for pythiosis and molecular tools. These exams indicated that the hyphae in the infected tissues belong to the straminipilan pathogen Pythium insidiosum. This is the first confirmed case of dog pythiosis in Venezuela.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15770447/