Acute staphylococcal peritonitis following cystocentesis in a dog

Abstract

AbstractObjective:Description of a case of acute gram‐positive peritonitis following cystocentesis and leakage of contaminated urine into the peritoneal cavity.Case summary:A 6‐year‐old male Standard Poodle was presented for stranguria and was identified to have a urethral obstruction. Attempts at retrograde urethral catheterization failed and a decompressive cystocentesis was performed. Within several hours, the dog became dull, tachycardic, tachypneic, pyrexic and profoundly hypovolemic. Septic peritonitis resulting from the introduction of a staphylococcal organism from a urinary tract infection into the peritoneal cavity was identified. The dog responded well to surgical therapy and medical management.New or unique information provided:To the authors' knowledge, this is the first detailed report of gram‐positive septic peritonitis resulting from a therapeutic cystocentesis. This is contrary to most other reports of septic peritonitis in dogs, where the causative agent is a gram‐negative organism. The characteristics of sepsis caused by a gram‐positive organism are different and in humans the relative importance of gram‐positive sepsis is increasing.