Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Hemolytic-uremic syndrome in a dog.
- Journal:
- Veterinary clinical pathology
- Year:
- 2005
- Authors:
- Dell'Orco, Marta et al.
- Affiliation:
- Pronto Soccorso Veterinario · Italy
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old spayed female Boxer was brought to the vet because she suddenly stopped eating, was vomiting, and had bloody diarrhea. Tests showed she had a serious condition called hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), which involves the breakdown of red blood cells, low platelet counts, and kidney failure. The dog was treated with fluids, medications to stop vomiting, antibiotics, and diuretics to help her kidneys, but unfortunately, her health continued to decline. The owners made the difficult decision to euthanize her. A post-mortem examination revealed severe damage to her blood vessels, particularly in her kidneys and intestines, confirming the diagnosis of HUS, which is quite rare in dogs.
Abstract
A 3-year-old, spayed, female Boxer was presented because of acute onset of anorexia, vomiting, and hemorrhagic diarrhea. Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia with intravascular hemolysis, thrombocytopenia, and acute renal failure were detected. The dog was treated with fluids, antiemetics, antibiotics, and diuretics. Despite supportive therapy, the dog's condition worsened, and the owners elected euthanasia. Necropsy revealed disseminated petechiae on the parietal peritoneum and serosal surfaces of the intestinal tract. The histologic lesions were consistent with severe arteritis and microvascular thrombosis involving only the renal and intestinal arterioles. The final diagnosis was hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), a rarely described disorder in dogs. The clinical presentation of primarily gastrointestinal clinical signs was similar to that of typical or diarrhea-associated HUS (D+ HUS) in humans (mainly children), which is caused by gastrointestinal proliferation of verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli. Bacterial toxins can be adsorbed and cause endothelial injury, activation of hemostasis, and thrombosis, with lesions confined primarily to the kidneys. Although rare, HUS should be considered in the differential diagnosis of dogs with microangiopathic hemolytic anemia.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16134076/