Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with bladder cancer found to have heartworm larvae in urine
By Schlette, Nicole et al.Ā·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital AssociationĀ·2025Ā·From the Department of Veterinary Clinical ServicesĀ·View original on PubMed ā
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research ā every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work ā
Original publication title: Microfilaria in the Urine of a Dog with Concurrent Urinary Bladder Sarcoma.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 12-year-old female spayed American Staffordshire Terrier was brought in for frequent urination and difficulty urinating, along with concerns about a possible bladder mass. Tests revealed tiny worm larvae in her urine, and an ultrasound showed a mass in her abdomen pressing on the urethra. Unfortunately, further examination confirmed that the mass was a malignant tumor, and the dog was diagnosed with advanced cancer. Due to her poor prognosis and the severity of her condition, she was euthanized.
People also search for: dog urinary problems Ā· American Staffordshire Terrier bladder mass Ā· dog cancer treatment options
Abstract
A 12 yr old female spayed American Staffordshire terrier was referred for stranguria, pollakiuria, and concern for a mass in the trigone of the urinary bladder. A urinalysis and abdominal ultrasound were performed to further investigate the bladder mass. Nematode larvae were identified in the urine, termed microfilaruria, while a caudal abdominal mass was found on ultrasound impinging on the urethra. Fine-needle aspirate of the abdominal mass revealed malignant neoplasia. A SNAP 4Dx of the peripheral blood was positive for Dirofilaria immitis antigen and a modified Knott's test confirmed D immitis larvae. The patient was euthanized owing to poor prognosis, and multiple masses were found within the abdominal cavity that, based on histopathology and immunohistochemistry, were diagnosed as poorly differentiated sarcoma. Hemorrhage, secondary to the abdominal mass, was considered the primary cause of microfilaruria.
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 āOriginal publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39761569/