A case of canine cutaneous listeriosis

The aetiology of dermatitis in dogs is often complex, and primary or secondary bacterial infections are common. In this report we describe a case where Listeria monocytogenes was proposed to be the bacteriological cause of a pyoderma in a 4-year-old Giant Schnauzer. The infection manifested as a cutaneous listeriosis with multiple pustulae on the dog's back. The dog was treated with clindamycin and recovered within 1 week. The source of infection was suggested to be a carcass or the faeces of a wild animal, or a decomposed placenta from an infected animal.