Difference between revisions of "Leptospirosis - Cats and Dogs"

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==References==
 
==References==
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* Merck & Co (2008) '''The Merck Veterinary Manual (Eighth Edition)''' ''Merial''
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* Nelson, R.W. and Couto, C.G. (2009) '''Small Animal Internal Medicine (Fourth Edition)''' ''Mosby Elsevier''
  
 
[[Category:Cat]][[Category:Dog]]
 
[[Category:Cat]][[Category:Dog]]
 
[[Category:Hepatitis,_Bacterial]]
 
[[Category:Hepatitis,_Bacterial]]
 
[[Category:To_Do_-_lizzyk]]
 
[[Category:To_Do_-_lizzyk]]

Revision as of 08:55, 2 September 2010




Description

    • Dogs and cats
      • Serovars canicola and icterohaemorrhagica cause leptospirosis in dogs, but are vaccinated against
      • Serovars pomona and grippotyphosa are becoming important
      • The host-adapted serovar canicolar causes acute renal failure in puppies; a chronic uraemic syndrome may follow
      • Incidental infections with serovar icterohaemorrhagica or copenhagenii cause renal failure
      • L. icterohaemorrhagiae may cause hepatic jaundice
      • Serovar bratislava causes abortion and infertility in dogs, which may be the maintenance host
      • Infections uncommon in cats


  • Leptospirosis icterohaemorrhagica - a septicaemic disease which affects the liver
  • puppies
  • Leptospirosis is an important spirochaetal group of diseases causing disease in animals and humans (zoonotic)
  • Transmission
    • via urine of affected animals
    • organisms can remain viable for weeks in damp conditions
  • method of action
    • cause anaemia via intravascular haemolysis

Signalment

Diagnosis

Clinical Signs

  • fever
  • dehydration
  • haemorrhaging from the mucous membranes of the body

Laboratory Tests

  • dark field microscopy on fresh urine is best

Pathology

Grossly-

  • widespread hameorrhages
  • icterus
  • pale foci in the liver (not always a constant finding)
  • subcapsular and cortical renal haemorrhages


Microscopically-

  • foci of necrosis
  • dissociation of hepatocytes form each other (similar to post mortem change)
  • substantial haemosiderin in the Kuppfer cells (from the haemolysis)
  • need to use a silver stain or immunofluorescence to demonstrate the organisms in tissues

Treatment

Prognosis

References

  • Merck & Co (2008) The Merck Veterinary Manual (Eighth Edition) Merial
  • Nelson, R.W. and Couto, C.G. (2009) Small Animal Internal Medicine (Fourth Edition) Mosby Elsevier