Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Two German Shepherd dogs with serious fungal infections and treatments
By Krockenberger, M B et al.·Published in Australian veterinary journal·2011·The University of Sydney, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Sequential opportunistic infections in two German Shepherd dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old male German Shepherd had a serious fungal infection that started in his nose and spread to his brain. He was treated with a medication called amphotericin B for two years, but sadly, he later developed another severe infection and had to be euthanized. Another 4-year-old male German Shepherd had a deep infection in his leg that didn’t respond to medication, but it healed after the leg was amputated. Unfortunately, he later developed another skin infection and died months later. These cases suggest that young German Shepherds may be more prone to severe fungal infections.
People also search for: German Shepherd fungal infection treatment · dog leg amputation recovery · why is my dog getting infections
Abstract
Two German Shepherd dogs with sequential opportunistic infections are described. The first was a 2-year-old male with cryptococcal rhinitis that spread to involve the optic nerves and brain. It was successfully treated with combination therapy utilising amphotericin B administered for 2 years, but the dog developed a disseminated Aspergillus deflectus infection 5 years later and was euthanased. The second case was a 4-year-old male that presented for a severe, deep-seated infection of the right antebrachium, with gradual extension to contiguous tissues. Neosartorya fischeri (anamorph; Aspergillus fischerianus) was isolated in pure culture and detected in histological sections. The infection was refractory to itraconazole, but resolved after amputation of the affected limb. Five months later, the dog developed a localised cutaneous lesion on the proximal pelvic limb, from which Pythium insidiosum was isolated and then visualised in tissue sections, together with a structure thought to be grass seed. This lesion was treated by wide surgical resection, although it was reported that the dog died of disseminated disease some months later. These cases provide further circumstantial evidence that young adult German Shepherd dogs have a predilection to developing invasive infections with fungi and other saprophytic pathogens.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21250949/