Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Clostridium difficile colonization in ICU dogs and cats and risk
By Clooten, Jennifer et al.·Published in Veterinary microbiology·2008·Department of Clinical Studies, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prevalence and risk factors for Clostridium difficile colonization in dogs and cats hospitalized in an intensive care unit.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that 18% of dogs and cats in an intensive care unit (ICU) tested positive for Clostridium difficile, a bacteria that can cause diarrhea. Many of these cases were linked to prior antibiotic use or immunosuppressive medications given during their hospital stay. The presence of C. difficile was associated with the development of diarrhea in these animals. This highlights the importance of monitoring for this bacteria in hospitalized pets, especially those receiving certain treatments.
People also search for: dog diarrhea hospital · Clostridium difficile in cats · antibiotic side effects in dogs · pet ICU care risks
Abstract
Clostridium difficile is the most common cause of hospital- and antimicrobial-associated diarrhea in hospitalized humans however the role of C. difficile in diarrhea in dogs has not been defined. A prospective study of C. difficile colonization in dogs and cats was conducted in a veterinary teaching hospital intensive care unit (ICU). Rectal swabs were taken from patients upon admission to the ICU and every third day of hospitalization until discharge or death. C. difficile was isolated from 73/402 (18%) animals; 69% of isolates were toxigenic. Community-associated colonization was identified in 39/366 (11%) of animals that were sampled at the time of admission, while C. difficile was subsequently isolated from 27 of the remaining 327 (8.3%) animals that had a negative admission swab. C. difficile was isolated from seven other dogs during hospitalization, but the origin was unclear because the admission swab was not collected. Administration of antimicrobials prior to admission and administration of immunosuppressive drugs during hospitalization were risk factors for hospital-associated colonization (P=0.006, OR 4.05, 95% CI 1.4-10.8). Acquisition of C. difficile during hospitalization in the ICU was associated with the development of diarrhea (P=0.004). Two ribotypes, one toxigenic and one non-toxigenic, predominated.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18164560/