What is your diagnosis? Septic peritonitis, lymphadenitis, and lymph node abscesses in a dog

Abstract

A 1-year-old neutered Queensland Blue Heeler was presented for acute onset vomiting, diarrhea, and hyporexia of 2 days duration. The dog lived on a ranch and was mostly unsupervised, though was caught eating a dead calf. On presentation, the dog was febrile (41.0°C), tachycardic, tachypneic, and painful on abdominal palpation. After overnight hospitalization with fluids and metronidazole (10 mg/kg orally twice daily), the dog's appetite returned, and he was discharged with oral metronidazole.Three days later, the dog was re-presented for a relapse.Tachycardia, tachypnea, fever (41.5°C), and abdominal pain were noted. On digital rectal examination, hematochezia was found. A CBC (ADVIA 2120i, Siemens Canada) showed a marked leukocytosis (58.8 × 10 9 cells/L, RI 4.9-15.4), marked neutrophilia (45.9 × 10 9

Recurrent and multidrug-resistant suppurative mesenteric lymphadenitis in a dog

“…Once affected, animals present nonspecific clinical signs such as abdominal pain, fever, apathy, anorexia, diffuse pain, and exercise intolerance. In laboratory analyses, alterations related to systemic inflammation are observed [4,6,8]. Inflammatory leukogram with left shift, mild hypoalbuminemia associated with mild hyperglobulinemia, and hyperfibrinogenemia are reported.…”

“…Mesenteric lymphadenitis is characterized by inflammatory involvement of intra-abdominal lymph nodes and has been reported in humans, pigs, cats, and dogs [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. This inflammatory process can originate immunologically or infectiously [6,9].…”

“…This inflammatory process can originate immunologically or infectiously [6,9]. When infectious, the main etiological agents are Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus canis, Prevotella sp., and more recently, Salmonella enterica [2,[5][6][7][8]. Furthermore, the disease can be caused by bacterial urinary tract infections, urolithiasis, ingestion of foreign bodies, traumatic injuries or ectopia, diffuse gastrointestinal inflammatory disease with bacterial translocation, sepsis, and peritonitis [6].…”

“…Case reports of dogs with a history of raw meat ingestion and subsequent development of mesenteric lymphadenitis due to Salmonella enterica have been published [7,8]. The disease can also be classified as idiopathic when there is no history that allows for the classification of the infection's origin [6].…”

“…Inflammatory leukogram with left shift, mild hypoalbuminemia associated with mild hyperglobulinemia, and hyperfibrinogenemia are reported. In urinalysis, the results may appear without apparent alterations or with results indicating infection or inflammation; however, in urine culture, in most cases, a negative result is obtained when the cause of lymphadenitis is not related to cystitis or pyelonephritis [5,8].…”