Septicaemia and thrombocytopenia caused by Salmonella gallinarum in a dog fed a raw meat-based diet

Abstract

In recent years, it has become increasingly popular for pet owners to feed their dogs and cats raw meat as an alternative to processed, manufactured diets. Owners are often unaware of the potential risks this may pose for their animals and for themselves, despite the published literature. This article reports the case of a 5-month-old female French Bulldog referred for investigation of acute vomiting, diarrhoea and pyrexia. She was diagnosed with septicaemia, associated with Salmonella gallinarum (identified on blood culture), as well as a positive faecal culture for Campylobacter coli and severe thrombocytopenia (presumably secondary to infection). She received supportive treatment and marbofloxacin, going on to make a full recovery. Considering the Salmonella serovar identified (which is host-specific to poultry) and the animal's lifestyle, it is possible the septicaemia originated from her raw meat diet. Salmonella spp. is potentially zoonotic and can cause acute enteritis in humans. This is the first report of septicaemia with positive blood culture for Salmonella gallinarum, with secondary severe thrombocytopenia (presumably immune-mediated), in a dog that was fed a raw meat diet.