Diseases associated with pronounced eosinophilia: a study of 105 dogs in Sweden

Abstract

Records of 105 dogs with pronounced eosinophilia (>2.2 x 10(9) eosinophils/litre) were evaluated in a retrospective study to determine diseases associated with the abnormality in dogs in Sweden. Inflammatory disease in organs with large epithelial surfaces, such as the gut, lungs or skin, was found in 36 per cent of the dogs. A further one-quarter of the 105 cases were placed in the 'miscellaneous' category, which comprised various diseases found at low frequency. The most well defined diagnosis was pulmonary infiltrates with eosinophils in 12 per cent of the dogs. A further 11 per cent had parasitic disease caused by either sarcoptic mange or nasal mite. No atopic dog was found and rottweilers were over-represented in most disease groups. Pronounced eosinophilia, in many cases transient, seems to be associated with a variety of disorders in dogs. In the present study, rottweilers appeared to be more prone to a high eosinophil response than other breeds.

Breed-Specific Hematological Phenotypes in the Dog: A Natural Resource for the Genetic Dissection of Hematological Parameters in a Mammalian Species

“…Age had a variable effect on the values of white cell parameters, which tended to decrease from young to middle age, in common with other canine studies [25,28,30]. In particular, lymphocyte concentrations showed a significant decrease with age, reflecting immunosenescence [31,32], and the early peak in eosinophil concentrations could have reflected – at least in part – higher parasite burdens in younger dogs [17,33,34]. However, in the case of neutrophils and monocytes – and to a lesser extent, lymphocytes and eosinophils – white cell parameters subsequently increased into older age, a novel observation that we attributed to inflammaging.…”

Idiopathic Eosinophilic Masses of the Gastrointestinal Tract in Dogs

“…Although no dog in this study had evidence of parasitism, anthelmintic therapy is reasonable and practical given the incidence of gastrointestinal parasitism, and its association with eosinophilic inflammation. 1,2 Ivermectin was used for the dogs of this report because of the potential for migrating larvae of A. caninum or T. canis contributing to the inflammation. It is a more practical method of treating migrating larvae that other anthelmitics such as fenbendazole that require several weeks of treatment to eliminate parasites outside the gastrointestinal tract.…”

“…Breeds included Rottweiler (4), Basset Hound (1), German Shepherd (1), and Retriever mix (1). All dogs presented with signs of gastrointestinal disease including anorexia or decreased appetite (4), weight loss (3), vomiting, with or without diarrhea in 3 and 2 dogs, respectively, and diarrhea in 2 dogs.…”

“…[1][2][3] Hypereosinophilic syndrome is another disease of unknown origin characterized by organ infiltration with eosinophils, most frequently of the bone marrow, spleen, liver, mesenteric lymph nodes, and gastrointestinal tract. [4][5][6] Although some of these disorders can cause mass lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, diffuse intestinal thickening is more common.…”

Idiopathic Eosinophilic Meningoencephalomyelitis in a Rottweiler Dog

“…7 In the past 2 decades, there have been several reports of an idiopathic form of eosinophilic meningitis that has been shown to affect dogs, cats, and cattle. [1][2][3]6,[8][9][10] In these cases, no infectious etiology has been identified; however, Rottweiler and Golden Retriever dogs appear to be overrepresented, indicating a possible breed predisposition. Dogs with eosinophilic meningoencephalitis often have signs consistent with both brain and spinal cord disease; however, no report has histologically documented the spinal cord changes.…”