Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with bone infection causing lameness from rare algae disease
By Whitman, Rachel E et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2025·Department of Comparative, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: osteomyelitis in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old mixed-breed dog was brought in for limping due to osteomyelitis, which is an infection in the bone. This unusual case was linked to a rare infection caused by algae, known as protothecosis, which typically affects dogs with weakened immune systems. The dog had been experiencing lameness as the main symptom, and the vet considered this infection as a possible cause. Treatment focused on addressing the infection, and the dog showed improvement after receiving appropriate care.
People also search for: dog limping osteomyelitis · protothecosis in dogs · treatment for dog bone infection
Abstract
Canine systemic protothecosis is an uncommon disease caused byspp., which are saprophytic algae occurring ubiquitously in nature. Infection occurs most commonly in immunocompromised animals. Most infected dogs have chronic large-bowel diarrhea, ocular lesions, neurologic deficits, or a combination thereof, but various tissues can be affected. This case highlights a unique presentation of protothecosis in a dog, in which lameness resulting from osteomyelitis was the predominant clinical sign. Key clinical message: Although osteomyelitis is an atypical manifestation, protothecosis can be a differential diagnosis for an aggressive bony lesion and is particularly worthy of consideration in immunocompromised dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39781412/