Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Trichomonad parasites found in diarrhea of young dogs
By Gookin, Jody L et al.·Published in The Journal of parasitology·2005·Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Molecular characterization of trichomonads from feces of dogs with diarrhea.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-month-old mixed breed puppy and a litter of German Shepherd puppies were brought in for severe diarrhea, which contained many tiny organisms called trichomonads. Testing revealed that the diarrhea was caused by two types of trichomonads: Tritrichomonas foetus and Pentatrichomonas hominis. This study confirms that both of these organisms can lead to diarrhea in dogs, with Tritrichomonas foetus being a notable cause. Treatment options for trichomoniasis in dogs typically include specific medications, so it's important to consult your veterinarian for the best course of action.
People also search for: dog diarrhea causes · puppy trichomoniasis treatment · German Shepherd diarrhea symptoms
Abstract
Trichomonads are occasionally observed in the feces of dogs with diarrhea. On the basis of superficial morphological appearance, these infections have been attributed to opportunistic overgrowth of the commensal, Pentatrichomonas hominis. However, molecular characterization of canine trichomonads has never been reported. This study was performed to determine, by means of rRNA gene sequence analysis, the identity of trichomonads observed in feces from dogs with diarrhea. Total DNA was isolated from fecal samples obtained from a 3-mo-old mixed breed dog and litter of German Shepherd puppies having profuse liquid diarrhea containing numerous trichomonads. Total DNA was subject to PCR amplification of partial 18S rRNA gene or 5.8S, ITS1, ITS2, and partial 18S and 28S rRNA genes using species-specific and universal primers, respectively. Products of 642 and 1864 base-pair length were amplified and cloned. On the basis of rRNA gene sequence, the trichomonads observed in the single dog and the litter of puppies shared 100% identity with Tritrichomonas foetus and P. hominis, respectively. The present study is the first to establish the molecular identity of trichomonads infecting dogs with diarrhea. These studies validate the longstanding assumption that canine trichomoniasis may be attributed to P. hominis. Importantly, these studies additionally recognize that canine trichomoniasis may also be caused by infection with T. foetus.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17089769/