Related Experiment Videos
Neosporosis in dogs
1U.S. Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Poultry Sciences Institute, Beltsville, MD 20705.
Veterinary Parasitology
|May 1, 1990
Summary
Infections with Neospora caninum in dogs can lead to severe illness and death in pups. Corticosteroid treatment in adult dogs reactivated chronic infections, causing significant organ damage.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Parasitology
- Canine Infectious Diseases
- Protozoan Infections
Background:
- Neospora caninum is a significant cause of abortion and neurological disease in dogs.
- Vertical transmission of Neospora caninum from dam to offspring is a major concern in canine populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the clinical outcome and pathological changes following Neospora caninum infection in a pregnant dog and its offspring.
- To evaluate the effect of immunosuppression with corticosteroids on chronic Neospora caninum infection in adult dogs.
Main Methods:
- A pregnant dog was inoculated with Neospora caninum tachyzoites.
- Offspring were monitored for clinical signs and necropsied if they became ill.
- Clinically normal adult dogs and remaining pups received weekly methylprednisolone acetate injections to induce immunosuppression.
- Post-mortem examinations were performed to identify pathological changes.
Main Results:
- Five out of eight pups born to the infected bitch became clinically ill and died within 20 days of age.
- The remaining three pups and the dam developed clinical signs and pathological lesions after corticosteroid administration.
- Necropsies revealed significant lesions including hepatic necrosis, pneumonia, encephalomyelitis, and myonecrosis in affected animals.
Conclusions:
- Neospora caninum infection poses a severe threat to canine reproduction and offspring survival.
- Corticosteroid administration can reactivate latent Neospora caninum infections in dogs, leading to severe clinical disease and pathological manifestations.