Type C botulism in young dogs

Abstract

A diffuse lower motor neurone paralysis developed in a 6-month-old male Australian cattle dog pup 4 days after it had eaten the carcase of a rotting duck in Centennial Park, Sydney. Two other dogs which ate smaller portions of the same carcase were less severely affected. Clostridium botulinum type C was isolated from and C. botulinum type C toxin was detected in faeces from the severely affected dog. The serum contained 25 LD50 of toxin/ml. The high C. botulinum count and toxin level in the faeces declined progressively during the ensuing weeks, but 114 days after ingesting the carcase C. botulinum type C was still present in faeces and a low toxin titre persisted. Soil, mud and water samples in the area of the duck ponds in the park contained C. botulinum type C spores. Spores and high toxin titres were also found in the intestine of the carcases of 2 birds in the area.

Outcome and medical management in dogs with lower motor neuron disease undergoing mechanical ventilation: 14 cases (2003–2009)

“…A larger number of dogs ( n = 32) with polyradiculoneuritis was described in abstract form, the results of that study suggesting that dogs with more rapid disease progression were less likely to survive . In one study of 3 dogs with botulism, 2 of which had mild to moderate signs, recovery of the most severely affected dog took weeks, and C. botulinum toxin was detected in the feces for 114 days after initial exposure …”

Natural Clostridium botulinum Type C Toxicosis in a Group of Cats

“…The neurological signs in the hospitalized cat were compatible with an ascending lower motor neuron disease with no other involvement of the central nervous system, and the differential diagnoses included acute polyradiculoneuritis, tick paralysis, and acute myasthenia gravis (MG) (1,2,3,5,8). Tick paralysis could be ruled out as the cause because ticks have never been reported in Israel, and MG was ruled out on the basis of the cat's improvement with no specific therapy against this disease.…”

“…The anamnesis, however, ruled out these conditions. Another supportive piece of evidence for botulism in this cat is the ascending pattern of neurological signs, which was also described in cases of canine botulism (1,2,5), with the order of the subsequent improvement from the front limbs to the hind limbs. Electrodiagnostic procedures were not performed in this case, but these usually assist only in the diagnosis and are not definitive.…”

Botulism

“…El pronóstico es bueno en aquellos animales con compromiso leve a moderado, en los que la recuperación ocurre en 2 o 3 semanas. En los casos más graves el pronóstico es reservado, y la muerte ocurre por parálisis de los músculos respiratorios o debido a las infecciones secundarias, principalmente pulmonares y de las vías urinarias 7,11,34 . La prevención del botulismo en los perros puede ser realizada restringiendo el acceso a carne podrida, impidiendo el consumo de carne cruda de aves y alimentos contaminados o cocinados en forma inadecuada Las vacunas con toxoides botulínicos son utilizadas en otras especies como forma de prevención, principalmente en rumiantes y aves silvestres 2,59,79 .…”