Disseminated candidiasis secondary to fungal and bacterial peritonitis in a young dog.
OBJECTIVE
To describe a severe case of bacterial sepsis and disseminated candidiasis in a previously healthy dog.


METHODS
Fungal sepsis was identified in a 2-year-old dog following intestinal dehiscence 4 days after abdominal surgery. Septic peritonitis was identified at admission and evidence of dehiscence at the previous enterotomy site was found during an exploratory laparotomy. Both gram-positive cocci and Candida albicans were cultured from the abdominal cavity. Candida sp. was also subsequently cultured from a central venous catheter. Euthanasia was performed due to failure to respond to therapy. Fungal organisms, morphologically consistent with Candida spp., were found in the lungs and kidney on postmortem histopathologic examination indicating disseminated candidiasis.


CONCLUSIONS
Candida peritonitis is a well-recognized entity in humans and contributes to morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. Abdominal surgery, intestinal perforation, presence of central venous catheters, and administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics are all considered to be suspected risk factors. This report describes the first known case of systemic candidiasis occurring secondary to Candida peritonitis and bacterial sepsis in a critically ill dog.
Rogers
Catherine L
CL
Department of Clinical Sciences, and Biomedical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, North Grafton, MA 02130, USA. crogers@mspca.org
Gibson
Christopher
C
Mitchell
Susan L
SL
Keating
John H
JH
Rozanski
Elizabeth A
EA
D000818:Animals; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000662:veterinary*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery; D004285:Dogs; D008297:Male; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*