Toxoplasmosis in Dogs: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. Many mammals, including humans, dogs, or cats, can be affected by this condition.

Because of this, it's important to know well what it involves and how it's transmitted. At Soyunperro we'll cover the common symptoms and how to prevent and treat it.

What Is Toxoplasmosis and How Is It Transmitted?

This is an enteric (digestive) and systemic protozoal disease. It requires a warm-blooded intermediate host, for example, a dog, mouse, or even a human. It's studied for being a worldwide zoonosis (transmissible to humans). In wild and exotic animals, it's lethal.

The intermediate host (a dog, for example) picks up the eggs from the dog's feces (cats, along with other felines, are the only ones capable of shedding these eggs, since they're the definitive host). The dog can get infected by eating meat from an infected mouse, closing the cycle and being able to infect our dog.

The positive side of this disease is that the host only sheds oocysts (eggs) in its feces the first time it gets infected, reducing the chance of infecting our dog.

Can My Dog Give Me Toxoplasmosis?

The answer is "no." People can't catch this disease through the dog, since it's the intermediate host and is unable to excrete oocysts in its feces.

Only a cat could transmit it, and it would be difficult, since several conditions would need to be met. However, if this were to happen, toxoplasmosis could be a risk to the fetus during pregnancy, especially when the mother-to-be has no antibodies against this disease.

Eating undercooked meat from infected mammals or unwashed raw fruits/vegetables would also be a common route of zoonotic transmission to humans.

Main Symptoms of Toxoplasmosis in Dogs

Dogs are usually asymptomatic or have subclinical or mild infections, which will worsen if the dog is under a year old, resulting mainly in respiratory (50%) and digestive (25%) symptoms. In dogs, as in many other mammals, Toxoplasma gondii causes miscarriages, since it crosses the placenta and affects the fetus.

However, in more severe cases, we may observe:

1. Liver-related symptoms and, very rarely, paralysis and hyperesthesia (increased reflexes), elevated muscle enzymes.

If you notice one or more of these symptoms in your dog or puppy, you need to take it to the vet as soon as possible for a thorough exam. It could also worsen if it has another condition at the same time.

Diagnosis and Treatment for Dogs With Toxoplasma Gondii

To check whether my pet has toxoplasmosis, the vet will need to first run a series of diagnostic tests. Normally, this includes reviewing the medical history as well as a complete physical exam. In dogs, this will be difficult given the subclinical nature and nonspecific symptoms.

It will be more useful to take a blood sample to run an ELISA test, an antibody test that detects the disease (IgM for acute, IgG for chronic). Another fairly specific test is PCR to detect it in blood and tissue (aqueous humor, cerebrospinal fluid, or brain).

Results will let us know the dog's health status and the most suitable treatment in each case. In pregnant women, there's a blood test: the Toxo-test, which detects whether or not you have immunity against it.

If toxoplasmosis is confirmed, the specialist's top priority will be to control the infection, slow its multiplication in the affected areas, and restore the immune system. The drug of choice is clindamycin for two weeks to a month. Oral spiramycin or other sulfonamides can also be chosen.

Can It Be Prevented?

The best weapon is prevention, so we should keep a few tips in mind. Mainly these:

For the pet:

• Don't feed your pet raw meat.
• Regularly clean the cat's litter box (if you have one).
• Prevent our animals from having hunting habits and access to placentas or other animal remains.

For humans:

• Wash your hands well regularly throughout the day.
• Don't eat raw or undercooked meat.
• Wash raw vegetables.
• Use gloves when gardening.
• Set up control measures for the cat.