by Dr. Anne Chauvet
Critical Care and Veterinary Specialists of Sarasota
Sue is a beautiful Catahoula Leopard dog/Poodle mix who had a serious brush with a somewhat unusual condition whose cause can be a bit hard to diagnose. This also turned out to be a zoonosis, meaning it was possible for Sue’s condition to be transmitted across the species line to humans.
She came to our clinic with severe back pain that was not responding to standard treatments. As a veterinary neurologist, I see these symptoms often. They raise concerns about a possible disc herniation, which can lead to paralysis, or a cancerous tumor. We performed an MRI scan that led us to a diagnosis of discospondylitis, an infection of the disc space, which is the cushioning tissue between the vertebrae of the spine. It also can affect the end of the spinal bones (vertebrae.)
Discospondylitis can be caused by any number of things like infections that start elsewhere in the body, such as the bladder and skin, or from dental disease. It can also start with a foreign body. In Florida, we have many plants with burrs or spiny tips. Foxtail grass is one that can cause problems because it propagates by hitching a ride in animal fur where it then falls out elsewhere and germinates.
Sometimes it can cause problems in long-haired dogs. The spiny tip can travel inward piercing skin and muscle and causing an infection. If that infection involves the spine, that is discospondylitis. This is one more good reason to brush your dog regularly.
Symptoms include fever, which will wax and wane. The dog may be in considerable pain. If the infection invades the spinal canal and puts pressure on the spinal cord, the dog can have weakness in his legs and may have difficulty walking. He will look like he is walking on eggshells. If the infection advances, he may not be able to walk at all.
Most of the time, this infection is caused by the staphylococcus bacteria, but streptococcus and E. coli also can be the culprits, so we began treating Sue with antibiotics. She continued to get worse, so we needed to do more tests. Spinal fluid was collected at the infection site and was sent to the lab for cultures that would determine the exact “bug” that was causing the problem so we could treat that specifically. We expanded the search to include possible fungal infections, although we hoped that would not be the case. It is rare for discospondylitis to be caused by a fungus, but when it does happen, it is very persistent and nearly impossible to get rid of it.
In Sue’s case, though, the cause was not fungal nor was it one of the more common bacterial causes. She was diagnosed with Brucellosis, a bacterial infection caused by the Brucella suis bacterium, which can affect pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, and some wildlife such as deer. It also can cause flu-like symptoms in humans, and more serious infections can attack the lining of the heart or central nervous system. Transmission to humans is rare, but there is still a chance, so we are required to respond accordingly and report it. The samples were sent to the state laboratory and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which confirmed that Brucella was the culprit.
Sue was put on minocycline for a month and then switched to doxycycline. Today she is fully recovered, in good health, and no longer poses a threat of contagion. Her owners both tested negative for the bacteria, and what could have been a very serious situation, ended well.
About Dr. Anne Chauvet:
Dr. Chauvet was born in France and raised in Gabon, Africa as well as Saskatoon, Canada. She received her Doctorate from the University of Saskatchewan, in Canada, in 1990. She completed an internship in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery at the University of Illinois, and a residency in Neurology/Neurosurgery at the prestigious University of California, in Davis. She received her diplomate status with the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 1995 and is one of less than 115 neurology diplomates in the nation.
From 1994 to 1999, Dr. Chauvet was a clinical instructor in Neurology/neurosurgery at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and was involved in gene therapy research for brain cancer. In 1998, she developed an international course in Basic Science in Veterinary and Comparative Neurology and Neurosurgery that is now considered a standard for veterinary neurologists. She is published in both veterinary and human medical journals, and continues to speak internationally. Dr. Chauvet is an active member of the SWFVMA, IWF, FVMA, AVMA, and ACVIM.
Dr. Chauvet has two boys, Vincent and Devan, that keep her energized and smiling. She also has a poodle cross, Oliver Sacks, a Dachshund named Tommy Who and a cat with too many toes, Edward Charles Goldfinger.
Dr Chauvet and Veterinary Neuro Services have won several local business and chamber of commerce awards. Dr. Chauvet continues to lecture at veterinary conferences and symposiums internationally and is considered a world expert in veterinary MRI.