Med. Weter. 72 (2), 125-127, 2016

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Karademir Ü., Paşa S., Ural K., Akin İ.
Adjunctive chloroquine as a possible anti-inflammatory therapy for canine cutaneous neosporosis
Neospora caninum has recently been recognised as a protozoan parasite capable of infecting dogs and other animals. Naturally occurring intermediate hosts include dogs, cattle, goats, sheep, horses and deer. The purpose of the present study was to report the presence of N. caninum infection in Aydin, Turkey, and to describe clinical, haematological and serological aspects of cutaneous neosporosis. In March 2011, the Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Adnan, Menderes, received a 3-year-old female Pointer dog with a history of severe skin lesions, located mostly on the feet and partly in the abdominal area. The skin lesions appeared 7 months prior to admission. They emerged first on the feet and footpads, spreading to the thorax and ventral abdomen, ulcerating 15 days prior to admission. The dermal lesions took the form of a diffuse pyogranulomatous dermatitis with a dense infiltrate of leucocytes. Histological sections revealed several N. caninum tachyzoites scattered throughout the tissue. Haematological examination involving complete blood counts, as well as serum biochemical and blood gas analysis, showed no abnormalities. The cutaneous lesions partially resolved following therapy with clindamycin hydrochloride, trimethoprim-sulphonamide combination and chloroquine. The most common clinical presentation reported in N. caninum infection in dogs is limb paralysis, but the disease may be generalised, involving all organs. There are few studies regarding Neospora-associated dermatitis in dogs. The affected dog in the present case was 3 years old, which is consistent with previous reports of cutaneous neosporosis, involving only adult dogs. It would be premature to conclude whether similar cases reported in adult dogs represented primary infection or a relapse of congenital infection. These observations demonstrate the presence of N. caninum in the Aydin province, Turkey, and confirm that neosporosis should be on the list of differential diagnosis for pyogranulomatous dermatitis in dogs.
Key words: chloroquine, dermatitis, dog, Neospora caninum