Canine Hepatitis Associated with Intrahepatic Bacteria in Three Dogs

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Pathology
• Microbiology
• Canine Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Canine hepatitis and cholangiohepatitis are inflammatory liver diseases in dogs.
• Diagnosis often relies on histopathology, but bacterial identification can be challenging.
• Conventional histochemical stains may fail to detect bacteria in certain liver inflammation cases.

Observation:

• Intrahepatic bacteria were detected in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded liver sections from three dogs with hepatitis.
• Eubacterial fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) identified bacteria co-localized with inflammation.
• These bacteria were not visible with routine hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining or histochemical stains.

Findings:

• Eubacterial FISH is more sensitive than conventional histopathology for detecting intrahepatic bacteria in canine hepatitis.
• The technique successfully identified bacteria associated with neutrophilic and granulomatous inflammation.
• Two of two treated dogs showed positive responses to antimicrobial therapy, suggesting a bacterial etiology.

Implications:

• Eubacterial FISH offers a more sensitive diagnostic tool for bacteria-associated canine hepatitis.
• This method can improve the accuracy of diagnosing liver inflammation of bacterial origin in dogs.
• Findings support the role of bacteria in canine hepatitis and the efficacy of antimicrobial treatment.