Visceral leishmaniasis in canine: conventional diagnostic and therapeutic approach associated with ozone therapy – Case report

Abstract

Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis (CVL) is an infectious disease of chronic and zoonotic character, caused by a pleomorphic protozoan of the order Kinetoplastida, the dog, a main domestic reservoir of L. chagasi, both in urban and rural environments. Thus, adequate control and effective treatment for the maintenance of the patient with canine visceral leishmaniasis is important. Thus, the objective of this study was to report the diagnostic and therapeutic approach in a canine patient with CVL, using ozone therapy as a support for conventional treatment. At a veterinary clinic in Santarém city, Pará state, a four-year-old male canine, dachshund, weighing 7 kg, was seen. On the day of the evaluation, the animal presented decreased appetite, apathy, emesis, weight loss, onychogryphosis, alopecia, non-pruritic, and brittle exfoliative dermatitis. The animal was positive in the rapid test (DPP®) for leishmaniasis with a reagent result. As treatment in an asynchronous manner, the application of miltefosine, allopurinol, and domperidone is initially instituted, then five sessions of ozone therapy were administered with an interval of 7 days for each session. As a result, it was observed that the patient showed a clinical and symptomatic improvement, mainly in the cutaneous tissue after the administration of ozone, with satisfactory results being evidenced during the treatment, making it a viable option for the re-stabilization and/or strengthening of the leukocyte system. Furthermore, in this study, ozone therapy improved the patient's clinical and laboratory findings, however, it did not reduce the parasitic burden as demonstrated by the quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR).