Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Successful treatment of widespread Nocardia infection in a dog
By Yaemsiri, S & Sykes, J E·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2018·Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Successful Treatment of Disseminated Nocardiosis Caused by Nocardia veterana in a Dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old male Lhasa Apso cross was brought to the vet after a month of not eating, being very tired, gagging, and limping on his right front leg. Initially, he was diagnosed with immune-mediated polyarthritis (a joint condition), and treated with prednisone and cyclosporine. However, after three months, he developed several firm lumps on his skin and in his abdomen. Tests revealed he had an infection caused by Nocardia veterana, a type of bacteria. The immunosuppressive medications were stopped, and he was treated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMS) for three months. A year later, he showed no signs of the infection returning.
People also search for: dog not eating · Lhasa Apso limping · Nocardia infection treatment · dog skin lumps · immune-mediated polyarthritis in dogs
Abstract
A 5-year-old male castrated Lhasa Apso cross was evaluated for a 1-month history of inappetence, lethargy, gagging, and progressive right thoracic limb lameness. Synovial fluid analysis revealed nonseptic suppurative inflammation, and a diagnosis of immune-mediated polyarthritis (IMPA) was made. After 3 months of treatment with prednisone and later cyclosporine, the dog developed multiple firm cutaneous and subcutaneous masses and a focal mass within the jejunum. Cultures of blood, urine, skin lesions, and the jejunal mass identified Nocardia veterana by matrix-absorption laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and allowed for earlier identification of the organism compared to more traditional secA1 gene sequencing. Immunosuppressive drug treatment was discontinued, and the dog was treated for 3 months by administration of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMS). No recurrence of clinical signs was reported 1 year later. This case report highlights the clinical utility of MALDI-TOF MS, particularly for the rapid identification of slow-growing, fastidious organisms.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29105868/