Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with swollen belly found to have 34 kidney worms removed
By Caye, Pâmela et al.·Published in Revista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria = Brazilian journal of veterinary parasitology : Orgao Oficial do Colegio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria·2020·Hospital de Clí·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Report of rare case of intense parasitism by 34 specimens of Dioctophyme renale in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A dog with progressive weight loss and a swollen belly was diagnosed with a rare case of intense parasitism caused by 34 Dioctophyme renale worms, which typically affect the kidneys. During surgery, the vets found these large parasites, some reaching up to 74 centimeters, causing serious complications like peritonitis and damage to the kidney. After the surgery, the dog was treated for the resulting issues, and the removal of the parasites was crucial for its recovery. This case highlights the severity of parasitic infections in dogs, especially in certain areas.
People also search for: dog swollen belly causes · dog weight loss and parasites · Dioctophyme renale treatment · dog surgery for kidney worms · how to treat dog peritonitis
Abstract
Dioctophymosis is caused by Dioctophyme renale, a nematode that usually affects the right kidney of carnivores. The aim of this study was to report on a case of a dog with progressive weight loss and swollen abdomen that was diagnosed as presenting dioctophymosis. The patient underwent surgical treatment through which 34 nematodes were found, of which 18 were female and 16 were male, with a maximum length of 74 centimeters. The parasites were free in the abdominal cavity and inside the right kidney, and had caused peritonitis, free fluid, severe adherences between the abdominal organs and renal perforation. Parasitic diseases with a high number of specimens of this species are uncommon in dogs. The disease progresses with an inflammatory reaction and consequent formation of adherences and granulomatous tissue. This surrounds the eggs that were eliminated in the abdominal cavity by the free parasites. This disease occurs frequently in the city of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, where the patient of this report was living. To the best of authors' knowledge, this is the case with the largest number of specimens of D. renale removed from a single dog in vivo.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33111844/