Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Lameness and paralysis in young Labrador puppies caused by Neospora
By Wouda, W et al.·Published in Tijdschrift voor diergeneeskunde·1993·Gezondheidsdienst voor Dieren Noord-Nederland·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: [Neospora caninum as a cause of lameness symptoms in young dogs].
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Two Labrador retriever puppies, just three weeks old, showed signs of diarrhea and weakness, and sadly, one died within two days. The other puppy developed severe paralysis and was euthanized shortly after. A third puppy also had issues with a weak hind leg and was later euthanized. By five months old, another puppy had to be put down due to worsening coordination problems. Tests revealed that the puppies were infected with a protozoan called Neospora caninum, likely contracted from contaminated food.
People also search for: puppy diarrhea weakness · Labrador retriever paralysis · Neospora caninum in dogs · puppy euthanasia reasons · dog neurological symptoms
Abstract
At the age of three weeks, two Labrador retriever puppies, out of a litter of nine, suffered from diarrhoea and muscular weakness. One puppy died within two days. The other was killed after a tetraparalysis had developed. Two weeks later a third puppy was killed because of a paretic hind leg. At the age of five months another dog had to be euthanized because of progressive hind limb ataxia. Pathological examination revealed polyradiculoneuritis, multifocal encephalomyelitis and polymyositis. In the lesions, particularly in the nerve roots, free and clustered protozoal tachyzoites were found. In the central nervous system tissue cysts were seen. By use of immunohistochemistry the protozoal organisms were identified as Neospora caninum, a newly recognized protozoan in the dog. Fresh bovine heart, that had been fed to the puppies, is regarded as the possible source of infection.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8322363/