Crenosoma vulpisinfection in two young dogs in Belgium

Abstract

Two dogs were presented for chronic cough unresponsive to long-term treatment. Thoracic radiograph revealed diffuse bronchial pattern. Bronchoscopy revealed moving worms in the airway lumen, further identified as adults of Crenosoma vulpis. Additionally bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis and Baermann faecal analysis revealed the presence of larvae with a morphology compatible with C. vulpis first-stage larvae. In one dog, a first treatment with oral fenbendazole at 50 mg/kg during seven days failed to cure the infection then a single topical application of 10 per cent imidacloprid +2.5 per cent moxidectin at 0.1 ml/kg was given and was effective. The other dog was successfully treated with two administrations of milbemycin oxime at one-month interval. This lungworm infection might be underdiagnosed and should be excluded before initiating a long-term corticosteroid therapy.

Computed tomographic findings in three dogs naturally infected withCrenosoma vulpis

“…These features are not specific for crenosomosis and can be seen in various pulmonary diseases such as canine chronic bronchitis, angiostrongylosis, eosinophilic bronchopneumopathy, or other infectious bronchopneumonia. The CT findings were consistent with radiographic findings previously described in the literature with regards to the bronchial pattern . Focal alveolar pattern was previously described using radiography in three dogs with crenosomosis and involved the right middle lung lobe .…”

“…Crenosomosis has been recognized as an important cause of chronic respiratory disease in dogs in North America and Europe. Dogs infected with C. vulpis have been reported from Canada (Atlantic Canada and Prince Edward Island), England, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Ireland, and Switzerland . Infected dogs usually present with a history of chronic or less commonly acute cough .…”

“…Radiographic findings in dogs naturally infected with C. vulpis have been described and consist of various combinations of bronchial and interstitial patterns, uncommonly associated with a focal alveolar pattern. In dogs who had repeat thoracic radiographs after treatment, the radiographic lesions improved or resolved . Thoracic computed tomography is nowadays commonly used in dogs with acute or chronic coughing.…”

Crenosoma vulpisinfection in a four-month old puppy

“…Since the fi rst report of this nematode in a domestic dog from the UK (Cobb & Fisher, 1992), only sporadic cases have been diagnosed in the last decade, including reports from Ireland (Reilly et al, 2000), Switzerland (Unterer et al, 2002), Germany (Barutzki & Schaper, 2003), Italy (Rinaldi et al, 2007) and Belgium (Caron et al, 2014). The scant number of reported cases has led practitioners to consider crenosomosis as a rare parasitic disease in dogs.…”

“…Considering the time before the patency period (i.e. 18 -21 days), this dog acquired the infection in a very early age, at approximately three-months old, and the cases available in the literature exclusively report natural infections in dogs older than one year (Reilly et al, 2000;Rinaldi et al, 2007;Caron et al, 2014). Hence, canine crenosomosis should also be taken into account in very young patients suffering from respiratory disease.…”