Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Spirocercosis infection in dogs over 5 years old in Israel
By Aroch, Itamar et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2015·Koret School of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Spirocercosis in dogs in Israel: A retrospective case-control study (2004-2009).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs in Israel, particularly those over 5 years old, were found to have esophageal spirocercosis, a parasitic infection that can cause vomiting and regurgitation. Despite some dogs having received preventive treatment, 22 of them still showed signs of the disease, with many having esophageal nodules. The study highlighted that the infection is becoming more common, especially in certain regions, and raised concerns about the effectiveness of current preventive measures. Treatment options and further management would be essential for affected dogs to improve their health outcomes.
People also search for: dog vomiting treatment · esophageal spirocercosis in dogs · dog regurgitation causes · spirocercosis prevention in dogs
Abstract
This case-control retrospective study (years 2004-2009) investigated the epidemiological, clinical, and diagnostic test findings of dogs with esophageal spirocercosis (ES) presented to the Hebrew University Veterinary Teaching Hospital (HUVTH) and coproscopy-positive dogs at the Kimron Veterinary Institute (KVI), Israel. It included 133 dogs with ES and 133 negative controls diagnosed at the hospital, and 343 dogs diagnosed at the KVI. The average incidence of ES at the HUVTH was 22.5/year, and the percentage of spirocercosis cases was stable at both institutions (HUVTH, 0.67-1.23%; KVI, 5-8%). Dogs aged > 5 years old had 100-fold likelihood to be infected compared to dogs aged ≤ 1 year of age (P < 0.001). Mean body weight (P = 0.0004), proportion of Retrievers (P = 0.002) and sporting breed dogs (P = 0.006) were higher, while proportion of toy breeds (P = 0.004) was lower in the ES group compared to the control group. The proportion of cases from Greater Tel-Aviv decreased (P = 0.002), while that of those from Judea and Jerusalem increased (P = 0.01) compared to the 1990 s. Spirocercosis occurred in 22 dogs despite past prophylactic avermectin treatment. Vomiting and regurgitation were the most common clinical signs of ES. Coproscopy was S. lupi-positive in 33/60 dogs (55.0%). The median number of esophageal nodules was two (range 1-8), with a median diameter of 3.5 cm (range 1.0-11.0). Malignant esophageal lesion transformation was confirmed in 29 dogs (22%). Despite preventive attempts, spirocercosis has spread in Israel over time, compared to previous findings, raising questions about the efficacy of the currently accepted prophylactic protocol is incompletely effective.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26012861/