A Nanaimo emergency veterinary hospital is sounding the alarm over a rare disease occurring in dogs.

According to a press release issued by Central Island Veterinary Emergency Hospital, necrotizing fasciitis, a disease that is difficult and expensive to treat and often fatal, has cropped up in six dogs in Nanaimo, Parksville and Qualicum Beach since October.

Nectrotizing fasciitis is a deep-seated infection of the skin, underlying fat layer and connective tissue surrounding muscles. A number of different bacterial species have been known to cause the infection, most commonly streptococci species, the release noted.

Veterinarian Catherine Daniel said she has submitted the cases to the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System. The most recent case appearing the system was from April sa国际传媒� details of cases on the system only appear with the pet ownersa国际传媒檚 consent sa国际传媒� for a dog in Parksville that had to be euthanized. Two of the cases listed were in Nanaimo and all cases occurred in different breeds. Of the five cases listed, four of the dogs had to be euthanized and one dog died soon after arriving in hospital.

Daniel said the disease is extremely rare, in about one in 300,000 humans in the U.S., but the disease in dogs is caused by a different bacteria.

sa国际传媒淚n humans, flesh-eating disease is caused by a group A streptococcus, but in dogs itsa国际传媒檚 caused by a group G, specifically usually streptococcus canis, which is species-specific,sa国际传媒� Daniel said. sa国际传媒淭here have been cases reported in cats, but it would be extremely rare for a human to contract it. They would have to be very immune-compromised and they would have to come in direct contact with the infectious material.sa国际传媒�

The bacteria typically gains access to underlying tissues through puncture wounds, skin infections or other trauma, but wounds are not always obvious or seen.

Daniel said the disease is so rare in dogs that veterinarians can spend their entire careers without encountering a case and she doesnsa国际传媒檛 know why cases seem to have spiked in the central Island in recent months.

sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e not sure. Thatsa国际传媒檚 why wesa国际传媒檙e looking into it,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淭hatsa国际传媒檚 how this all came about, because Isa国际传媒檝e started doing some research around it and, for now itsa国际传媒檚 getting some publication. Wesa国际传媒檙e going to be doing a survey to owners of infected animals in terms of trying to figure out if theresa国际传媒檚 any kind of commonality between them.sa国际传媒�

Daniel said streptococcus canis naturally colonizes the skin and gastrointestinal tract of most animals, particularly dogs and cats, and doesnsa国际传媒檛 cause disease in most healthy animals, but in the dogs she has encountered with the disease there could be some form of environmental factor that contributed to the animals developing necrotizing fasciitis.

sa国际传媒淭he fact that we have the bacteria does not mean that the disease will occur,sa国际传媒� she said.

If more cases occur, she and other veterinary staff at the hospital will send cultures to an infectious disease specialist in Ontario for analysis to see if theresa国际传媒檚 a new strain emerging or virulent factors involved contributing to new cases. Daniel said the veterinary community does not know what contributing factors are because cases are so rare, but there has to be some particular instances that create the right environment to cause the infection. Those currently arensa国际传媒檛 understood but she hopes the survey will provide data that will help tease those out.

There does not appear to be any outbreaks beyond the Island.

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Pet owners should be wary if their dogs display certain symptoms. Pets with pain, especially in a limb, with or without swelling should be seen by a veterinarian. Usually, there is no discolouration of the skin, but it can develop over a few hours and a fever is a commonly associated with necrotizing fasciitis.

Pets diagnosed with the disease require urgent and intensive therapy to try to manage the fasciitis, which can include surgery to eliminate infected tissue to try to halt the spread of the infection. The procedure can range from removing small sections of tissue to limb amputation.

Daniel said treatment, including aggressive surgical intervention, is costly sa国际传媒� as much as $15-20,000.

Daniel said she hopes the cases will simply stop.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 hoping it just peters out and we never have to see it again and, hopefully, Isa国际传媒檝e had my share of the cases, but if it does keep going we kind of felt we needed to get the ball rolling, in terms of investigating, so that, at least, we can get in front of it if it is something thatsa国际传媒檚 going to take off,sa国际传媒� she said.

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