Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with chronic diarrhea diagnosed with leishmaniosis infection
By Tabar, María-Dolores et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2022·Hospital Veterinario San Vicente-Vetsum, Spain·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Leishmaniosis in a cat with chronic diarrhea as the only clinical manifestation.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old male domestic shorthaired cat was brought in for chronic diarrhea that wasn't getting better with treatment. Tests showed signs of inflammation in the intestines and the presence of Leishmania parasites, which can cause serious health issues. The cat was treated with allopurinol and a special dietary supplement, which helped resolve the diarrhea, but some signs of the infection remained even months later. Unfortunately, the cat passed away from unrelated causes a few months after treatment. This case highlights that Leishmaniosis can cause chronic diarrhea in cats, especially in areas where the disease is common.
People also search for: cat chronic diarrhea treatment · Leishmaniosis in cats · cat gastrointestinal problems · allopurinol for cats · cat diet for diarrhea
Abstract
A 10-year-old male domestic shorthaired cat was presented with chronic diarrhea unresponsive to treatment. Laboratory testing identified hyperglobulinemia and mild nonregenerative anemia, and nongastrointestinal causes of diarrhea were ruled out. Gastrointestinal endoscopy and biopsy were performed and disclosed diffuse generalized granulomatous and lymphoplasmocytic inflammatory reaction in all segments of gastrointestinal tract evaluated, with numerous Leishmania spp. amastigotes within the cytoplasm of macrophages. The organism also was detected in spleen and bone marrow and Leishmania spp. serology was positive (immunofluorescence assay 1 : 160). A diagnosis of granulomatous enteritis secondary to leishmaniosis was made. Gastrointestinal signs resolved after treatment with allopurinol and a dietary supplement of nucleotides and active hexose-correlated compounds (N-AHCC), but seropositivity and gammopathy persisted 8 months later. The cat died of unrelated causes after an additional 3 months and permission for necropsy was not granted. Leishmaniosis as a cause of chronic diarrhea has not been reported previously in cats and should be considered in endemic areas in cats with chronic gastrointestinal signs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35037701/