Pythiosis of the digestive tract in dogs from Oklahoma

Abstract

Enteric pythiosis was diagnosed in nine dogs in Oklahoma. Eight dogs had anorexia and weight loss. Two of these dogs had diarrhea; two dogs exhibited vomiting and diarrhea; and one dog had vomiting. One dog presented with dysphagia. Seven dogs had either a palpable or radiographically visible abdominal mass. These seven dogs had localized regions of mucosal ulceration and thickened gastric or intestinal walls with some involvement of the adjacent mesentery or omentum. Two dogs had enlarged regional mesenteric lymph nodes. One dog that presented with dysphagia had an oropharyngeal mass involving the larynx and cranial esophagus. Microscopically, there was transmural chronic sclerosing and granulomatous to pyogranulomatous inflammation with arteritis. Pythium spp. were identified in all specimens by immunohistochemistry.