Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog died from septic shock after dental cleaning with contaminated
By Franci, P et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2015·Department of Animal Medicine, Italy·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Lethal septic shock after dental scaling in a healthy dog due to Ochrobactrum anthropi-contaminated propofol.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old Yorkshire terrier was taken for a routine dental cleaning but became lethargic and developed bloody diarrhea just two hours after returning home. When the owner brought him back to the vet, the dog was found to be depressed, having trouble breathing, and had a rapid heart rate. Despite receiving supportive treatment, the dog's condition worsened, and he sadly passed away within a few hours. Tests revealed he had sepsis caused by a bacteria called Ochrobactrum anthropi, which is usually found in sick animals. This case highlights a rare but serious risk associated with contaminated anesthesia.
People also search for: dog lethargy after dental cleaning · Yorkshire terrier bloody diarrhea · sepsis in dogs treatment
Abstract
A 10-year-old, 6-kg male Yorkshire terrier dog was scheduled for routine dental cleaning. No significant problem was observed either during anaesthesia, which was induced with propofol, or during recovery. However, 2 hours after discharge, the dog's owner returned to the clinic, complaining that the animal was lethargic and had had bloody diarrhoea. On physical examination the dog was depressed, dyspnoeic, tachycardic and hypoglycaemic. Despite supportive treatment, the dog deteriorated and died within a few hours.A presumed diagnosis of sepsis was confirmed by laboratory testing. Bacteriological and molecular examinations of both premortem blood samples and the anaesthetic, highlighted the presence of Ochrobactrum anthropi, an opportunistic pathogen usually associated with immunocompromised hosts with indwelling medical devices. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first case of sepsis in a healthy dog due to contamination of an anaesthetic solution by O. anthropi, suggesting a potential role of this microorganism as an emerging pathogen.
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/25354910/