Premature Parturition in a Female Dog with Visceral Leishmaniasis: Case Report

Abstract

Premature Parturition in a Female Dog with Visceral Leishmaniasis: Case Report Background: The visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a parasitic disease that affects dogs usually transmitted by the presence of the vector, but other forms of transmission have already been reported, including the possibility of vertical transmission. Case: This article reports the case of a Schnauzer female dog, two years and six months old, presenting apathy and weight loss in which the diagnosis for VL was suggested, confirming the positivity during pregnancy. Clinical and laboratorial findings were aggravated during gestation with the occurrence of preterm delivery at fifty days of coverage. Discussion: Despite the scarcity of reports in the literature about the possibility of vertical transmission of the disease in canines, the presence of amastigote forms of Leishmania sp. in the uterus, vagina, vulva and mammary gland have been reported. Conclusion: It is worth noting that female dogs parasitized with the disease should be removed from reproduction for treatment, as the disease may alter the general clinical picture of the animal and compromise the development of the fetuses, causing premature parturition.