What is a Campylobacter infection?
Campylobacter infection or campylobacteriosis is an intestinal bacterial infection caused by a gram-negative bacterium called Campylobacter jejuni.
This micro-organism is naturally found in the digestive tract of our pets. In some cases, it can cause gastroenteritis in dogs, especially in young animals.
Campylobacteriosis, a zoonosis
Campylobacteriosis has zoonotic potential, in other words it has the ability to also cause gastroenteritis in humans, especially in young children, because infected animals excrete bacteria in their stools.The best prevention is to adopt good hygiene practices, such as regularly removing its excrement in your garden, cleaning soiled areas of your home and frequently washing your dog's bedding. It is essential to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling an infected dog, not to sleep with him and to avoid licking him.
How can my dog get infected?
Dogs tend to become infected with Campylobacter by ingesting or coming into contact with feces, water or food contaminated with this microorganism. Among the food sources, raw meat and in particular raw poultry meat would be the most often involved.
To avoid this, it is best to cook the meat that you distribute to your dog very lightly or to blanch it by placing it in boiling water for 1 minute. Cooking your dog's meat is also a way to prevent contamination of human family members, especially fragile people such as young children and the elderly.
What are the clinical signs of campylobacteriosis in dogs?
In dogs, common symptoms of campylobacteriosis include:
- a liquid diarrhea, which can sometimes be tinged with blood,
- abdominal pain,
- moderate fever,
- of anorexia,
- sometimes vomiting,
- of tenesmus,
- signs of dehydration.
How is a Campylobacter infection diagnosed in dogs?
A Campylobacter infection is usually diagnosed in the laboratory by a culture from a stool sample. This test is performed in cases of chronic, persistent or severe diarrhea that has not responded to conventional treatments.
How is campylobacteriosis treated?
Your veterinarian will prescribe symptomatic treatment for diarrhea as well as appropriate antibiotic treatment for your dog, based on the results of the fecal culture.
Animals showing severe symptoms may require hospitalization.