Achados clínicos e laboratoriais sugestivos de infecção por sporothrix spp. em cães: relato de casos

Abstract

Canine sporotrichosis is a rare granulomatous disease with subacute or chronic progression, caused by fungi of the Sporothrix spp. complex and frequently misdiagnosed as other dermatopathies. This study aimed to report and discuss two suggestive cases of fixed cutaneous sporotrichosis in female Poodle dogs (5- and 8-year-old) treated at the University Veterinary Hospital of UFPB. Diagnosis was achieved through cytopathological examination of lesions combined with clinical history, physical examination, and complementary tests. Treatment with itraconazole (40 mg/kg) resulted in clinical cure in Case 1 after 30 days. Case 2, however, progressed to death due to complications from probable concurrent canine distemper, despite the animal showing initial improvement of cutaneous lesions. This study highlights three critical aspects of canine sporotrichosis management: (1) the need for differential diagnosis from other dermatopathies, (2) challenges in laboratory confirmation in dogs, and (3) the epidemiological history's diagnostic relevance. Furthermore, it confirms itraconazole's efficacy while demonstrating the inadequacy of empirical therapies with other active compounds, addressing gaps in the scarce literature about this disease in canines.