Bilateral Valvular Endocarditis with Multiple Renal Infarcts in an Adult Pit-Bull: A Case Report

Abstract

Introduction: Vegetative valvular endocarditis is an uncommon but potentially fatal condition in dogs, often diagnosed post-mortem due to nonspecific clinical presentation and rapid progression. The present case report aimed to document the post-mortem and histopathological findings specific to bilateral valvular endocarditis with septic embolism-induced renal infarcts in a 9-year-old male Pit Bull.
Case report: A 9-year-old male Pitbull presented with anorexia, exercise intolerance, recumbency, and a haemorrhagic scrotal mass. Clinical evaluation revealed hyperthermia, tachycardia, laboured respiration, and mitral regurgitation. The dog died despite intervention and was necropsied. Tissue samples taken from the heart, kidney, lungs, and liver were fixed in 10% buffered formalin, sectioned at 5 µm, and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. Endocardial samples were cultured on MacConkey and Blood agar. Necropsy revealed vegetative thrombotic endocarditis (Mitral valve), bronchopneumonia, renal infarctions, splenomegaly, and hindlimb myositis. Histology examinations confirmed fibrinous thrombi with bacterial colonies, pulmonary oedema, and hepatic chord atrophy, Kupffer cellular hyperplasia, and renal tubular thromboembolism and necrosis. Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella spp. were isolated from the endocardial samples and confirmed by Gram stain and biochemical tests such as catalase, indole, citrate, and oxidase tests.
Conclusion: The present case demonstrated the systemic implications of canine valvular endocarditis, particularly its association with renal infarction and multi-organ pathology. Given the rarity of the condition, with an estimated prevalence of only 0.11% in dogs, the present report contributes to the expanding knowledge on understanding and managing similar cases in veterinary practice.