Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Border collie puppy with cobalamin deficiency and deadly fungal
By Erles, K et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2018·Department of Pathology and Pathogen Biology, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Systemic Scedosporium prolificans infection in an 11-month-old Border collie with cobalamin deficiency secondary to selective cobalamin malabsorption (canine Imerslund-Gräsbeck syndrome).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 11-month-old Border collie collapsed and quickly worsened despite receiving supportive care. The dog had a history of poor growth and frequent respiratory infections. Blood tests showed several issues, including anemia and low vitamin B12 levels, which were linked to a genetic condition called Imerslund-Gräsbeck syndrome that affects vitamin absorption. Sadly, a post-mortem examination revealed widespread organ damage and a fungal infection caused by Scedosporium prolificans. The combination of the genetic deficiency and the infection led to the dog's rapid decline.
People also search for: Border collie collapsed · dog respiratory infection treatment · cobalamin deficiency in dogs · Scedosporium infection in pets
Abstract
An 11-month-old Border collie presented collapsed and continued to deteriorate rapidly despite supportive treatment. The dog had a history of failure to thrive and recurring respiratory infection. Laboratory abnormalities included neutrophilic leucocytosis, Heinz body anaemia, hyperammonaemia, hyperbilirubinaemia, proteinuria and hypocobalaminaemia. Post-mortem examination revealed multi-focal necrosis within the heart, kidneys, pancreas, liver, meninges and cerebral cortex. Fungal hyphae in lesions were identified as Scedosporium prolificans following culture. Subsequent genotyping confirmed that the dog carried the CUBN:c.8392delC mutation in a homozygous state, verifying hereditary cobalamin deficiency (a.k.a. Imerslund-Gräsbeck syndrome). Cobalamin deficiency may have been a predisposing factor for the development of systemic fungal infection in this dog.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28390190/