Summary
Haematogenous osteomyelitis is a rare form of bone infection in adult dogs. Most commonly
the infection is iatrogenic or traumatic in origin. The authors report three different
presentations of haematogenous osteomyelitis: a focal pelvic localisation in a growing
dog, a vertebral lesion in an adult dog with associated neurological signs and a multifocal
affection in another adult dog with concomitant pathological fractures.
Clinical signs included pyrexia of undetermined origin, focal pain and lameness. Diagnostic
investigation included radiographic imaging, bone scintigraphy, magnetic resonance
imaging, surgical biopsy, and bacteriological culture with sensitivity testing of
biopsy specimens as well as of peripheral blood samples. Treatment consisted of long-term
antimicrobial therapy and surgical debridement with curettage of the pelvic abscess
of the young dog and decompressive hemilaminectomy of the second dog, with excellent
recovery. The dog affected by polyostotic bone involvement and suffering pathological
fractures was euthanatized.
Haematogenous osteomyelitis may be a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge and may
present as a devastating skeletal condition, even in adult dogs, and should be considered
amongst the differential diagnoses early on to allow effective treatment.
Keywords
Haematogenous osteomyelitis - systemic bone infection - lameness - pathological fracture
- dog
