Bacterial Infection (Campylobacteriosis) in Dogs

Campylobacteriosis is an infectious disease that causes severe diarrhea in dogs as well as in people. Campylobacter jejuni bacteria is the cause of this disease, which is found in the intestinal tracts of animals all over the world. The most common way for your dog to become infected with campylobacteriosis is through unpasteurized milk, chicken that is not fully cooked or any other food that has been contaminated with the bacteria during its preparation. Your dog can actually be a carrier of campylobacter infection without showing any symptoms or signs at all, but can pass the infection on to other animals and people. Campylobacteriosis infection is a common cause of diarrhea in people.

Dogs can become dehydrated quickly with severe diarrhea.  Because of this, it is essential to get medical help for your dog as soon as you possibly can. Other complications can be dangerous to your dog if suffering from the campylobacteriosis infection, such as intussusception, which is a condition that causes one part of the bowel to slide into the other. This happens more often in puppies when they have extreme diarrhea that causes the intestinal walls to press into each other and results in an obstruction that can be fatal without immediate treatment.

The bacterial infection, campylobacteriosis, is caused by the Campylobacter jejuni bacteria that is common in animals and people everywhere in their digestive tract. These spiral shaped bacterium can cause diarrhea, vomiting, cramps, fever, and dehydration among other things. The illness is most commonly transmitted by poultry that is not completely cooked and can be a life-threatening emergency in the very young or very old.

The symptoms of campylobacteriosis can be similar to many other illnesses so the infection may go unnoticed unless a complication arises. Some complications such as dehydration, intussusception, gall bladder swelling (cholecystitis), and bacterial infection in the blood (bacteremia) cause individual symptoms of their own.

Campylobacteriosis

• Abdominal pain
• High body temperature
• Diarrhea
• Bloody stools
• Vomiting
• Excessive sleepiness
• Lack of appetite
• Weight loss

Dehydration

• Loose and wrinkled skin
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Weakness
• Sleepiness
• Excessive urination
• Panting
• Depression
• Drooling
• Dry gums
• Weak pulse
• Sunken eyes
• Collapse

Intussusception

• Vomiting
• Bloody stools
• Loss of appetite
• Shock
• Death

Gall Bladder Swelling (cholecystitis)

• Loss of appetite
• Lethargy
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Jaundice (yellow eyes and gums)
• Hypothermia (low body temperature)
• Weak and rapid pulse
• Swelling in abdomen

Bacterial Infection of the Blood (bacteremia)

• Chills
• Fever
• Lethargy
• Depression
• Rapid heart rate

Puppies under six months of age living in crowded and unsanitary conditions are most at risk for campylobacter infection. Those with illness or other conditions such as parvovirus, Giardia, Salmonella, or any other parasitic infection are also at a higher risk of contracting campylobacter infection.

The diagnosis for campylobacteriosis is pretty simple (a fecal swab and stool sample), but your veterinarian will still need to know your dog’s complete history as well as any recent illnesses or injuries your dog has had recently. The veterinarian will need to check your dog’s body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, energy level, abdomen, and spleen while waiting for the results to get finished. Some of the important information your veterinarian will need to know is the symptoms, exposure to other dogs (i.e. parks, doggie day care), if he has eaten any foreign substances or trash, changes in food, and if you have done any traveling with your dog.

To see if there are any underlying illnesses or disease, a number of tests may also be performed, such as complete blood count (CBC), electrolyte panel, urinalysis, bacterial culture, fungal swab, blood glucose, kidney, liver, and pancreatic function tests, digital radiographs (x-rays), ultrasound, and possibly an endoscopy to see the intestinal tract.

The first thing your veterinarian will do, possibly even before running any diagnostic tests, is IV fluid therapy to replenish the fluid levels if your dog is dehydrated. If the condition is severe, the veterinarian may hospitalize him to get control of the diarrhea and keep your dog hydrated. The most dangerous side effect for most dogs with campylobacteriosis is dehydration, so it is essential to keep your dog hydrated, which may take continuous IV fluids until the medicine starts working. The most common medication used for campylobacteriosis is an antibiotic such as azithromycin or erythromycin for about three weeks.

During treatment, your veterinarian will want you to watch for any worsening of the symptoms and contact them if your dog has any recurrent diarrhea. Some medications can cause diarrhea in certain dogs and your dog cannot handle any more of that, so you need to let your veterinarian know if this happens.

As long as you catch the illness early enough, and get it treated right away, your dog’s chances of recovery are good. Be sure to watch your dog for signs of any complications such as dehydration, intussusception, gall bladder swelling (cholecystitis), and bacterial infection in the blood (bacteremia).