Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pythiosis in dogs causes skin or gut lesions and treatment options
By Cridge, Harry·Published in The Veterinary clinics of North America. Small animal practice·2025·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Pythiosis in Dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A dog with pythiosis, an infection caused by a water mold, can show symptoms like skin lesions or gastrointestinal issues. This condition is more common in certain areas of the U.S., particularly the Southeast and Gulf Coast. Diagnosis often involves special staining techniques and molecular tests to confirm the presence of the organism. While surgery has been the traditional treatment, there is increasing use of medical therapies that can also be effective. The outlook for dogs with pythiosis is improving, and it is no longer seen as always fatal.
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Abstract
Pythiosis is caused by the oomycete Pythium insidiosum. Within the United States, Pythiosis is most seen in the Southeast and Gulf Coast states, but it has an expanding distribution. Pythiosis is characterized by gastrointestinal or cutaneous lesions, and rarely these lesions are seen together. Special stains (eg, Gomori methamine silver) help to improve detection of fungal hyphae and should be used in conjunction with molecular techniques to obtain a definitive diagnosis. Surgery with wide margins is traditionally recommended but there is growing utilization of medical therapy. Prognosis is variable and the disease should no longer be considered uniformly fatal.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39725575/