Clostridium Perfringens Alpha Toxin

[3greytjoys]

Does anyone have (or know of) a dog that survived and fully recovered from this potentially lethal bacterial strain?

If so, which antibiotic or combination of medications were successful?

What was the treatment and recovery duration?

 

This C.P. alpha toxin bacteria is a food poison found in raw or under cooked meats, rotting vegetation, improperly processed/transported/stored foods, etc. It's anaerobic, zoonotic, and regenerates very rapidly inside the body.

 

 

 

[smurfette]

Which kind of symptoms does the dog have?

 

Gastro intestinal - Tylosin, Ampillicin, Amoxicilin, Metranidazol, Clindamyzin

And you can give lactulose to reduce the amount of the bacteria.

 

Tetanus - high dosage of penicillin and tetanus anti-toxin.

 

Botulism - botulism anti-toxin, induced coma, infusions, ventilator

 

And of course vet asap - every second counts in this one.

[Batmom]

From the literature, it looks like dogs often survive this. Appears to depend on how sick the dog is -- a dog can have it in their gut without getting sick -- and how quickly treatment is started. As smurfette notes, treatment is antibiotics and, if the dog is very ill, supportive care such as fluids. Some of the literature suggests that a high fiber diet may help to avoid recurrence.

 

Is your pup sick in hospital now? Best thoughts!

Edited December 24, 2017 by Batmom

[JohnF]

Info:

 

http://www.antimicrobe.org/b90.asp

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3327598/

 

Work with your vet. Good luck.

[3greytjoys]

Thank you all for your helpful replies! This wicked C.P. alpha toxin appears to be resistant to all the antibiotics we've tried to date: metronidazole, amoxicillin, and tylosin. Prednisone was added recently to combat some symptoms but is causing severe muscle wasting, additional weight loss, etc. Weight loss is nearly 25 pounds so far (down from her ideal 63 pound healthy weight in Oct.).

 

Which kind of symptoms does the dog have?

Gastrointestional: sudden onset with ongoing watery diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, lethargy, lack of appetite, weight loss, etc. (Vomiting and appetite have improved periodically with other medications.) Thanks, I'll look into clindamycin.

 

From the literature, it looks like dogs often survive this. Appears to depend on how sick the dog is -- a dog can have it in their gut without getting sick -- and how quickly treatment is started. As smurfette notes, treatment is antibiotics and, if the dog is very ill, supportive care such as fluids. Some of the literature suggests that a high fiber diet may help to avoid recurrence.

Is your pup sick in hospital now? Best thoughts!

I truly hope some dogs are able to survive this. This increasingly resistant Type A - alpha toxin seems to be one of the more dangerous strains.

 

We've been fighting this super resistant bacteria with our veterinarians for many weeks. Our girl is also receiving fluid treatments, injections, prebiotics/probiotics, fiber, prescription gastrointestional foods, etc.

 

Info:

 

http://www.antimicrobe.org/b90.asp

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3327598/

 

Work with your vet. Good luck.

 

Thank you, John. I had not found that excellent antimicrobe page previously. I'm relieved to see more antibiotics that might be additional trial options.

[Batmom]

IIRC some of the literature suggests that higher doses of antibiotics might be needed. Poor pupper, and poor worried people too.

[seeh2o]

Oh no, no advice, but sending healing thoughts for your sweet girl. How did she get it?

[EllenEveBaz]

Sending best wishes and healing thoughts.

[3greytjoys]

IIRC some of the literature suggests that higher doses of antibiotics might be needed. Poor pupper, and poor worried people too.

 

I wondered the same thing and asked about that for antibiotic treatments to date. The treatment duration was extended but doses seemed typical for this medication sensitive hound. Her system is so compromised now. Vets are preparing me for the worst. I'm still hoping for a miracle!

 

Oh no, no advice, but sending healing thoughts for your sweet girl. How did she get it?

 

Thank you. Appears she was infected by oral ingestion. (She didn't have any open wounds.)

 

-------

 

I'm still interested in learning from anyone's personal experience with this C.P. alpha toxin, even if your dog didn't survive this (or one of the other three most lethal strains).

[GreytNut]

I had only previously known of cases in humans where this bacteria invaded wounds and caused highly lethal gas gangrene. If it involved limbs it could be treated with a combination of penicillin and surgical debridement or amputation. If it involved the abdominal cavity it could be treated with a combination of penicillin and a hyperbaric oxygen chamber.

 

It might seem weird to stuff a dog into a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, but the reason for it is that C. perfringens is anaerobic (can't live in the presence of too much oxygen) and forcing oxygen into the tissues helps kill it off.

 

Perhaps your vet might investigate the option of penicillin + hyperbaric oxygen? Don't know if it works the same for dogs but maybe it's worth a try?

 

Didn't know you could get C. perfringens from food as well as soil-contaminated wounds. Scary stuff.

 

Poor pupper. I hope she's OK.

 

ETA: Found the info on hyperbaric oxygen treatment.

 

"The oxygen saturates the infected tissues and thereby prevents the growth of the obligately anaerobic clostridia. The growth of C. perfringens is inhibited when the availability of oxygen is equivalent to a partial pressure of around 910 kPa (compare to 45 kPa in venous blood under normal conditions, with 1113 kPa in arteries and 21 kPa in air at sea level), so if the treatment is started early, this condition can mostly be cured."

 

- Guyton and Hall textbook of medical physiology, 12th edition, chapter 44, Physiological issues in deep sea diving and other high-pressure conditions

Edited December 29, 2017 by GreytNut

[3greytjoys]

Thanks for this good reminder about the hyperbaric oxygen chamber, etc. Kristen. I considered that previously but hadn't discussed it yet with our vets. We only have a non-pressurized oxygen chamber in our area but I'll contact a teaching hospital a couple hours away.

 

I'm eager to determine our hound's true current condition after she's fully tapered off prednisone, etc. Prednisone has been worsening her diarrhea and other symptoms. Her prognosis is poor but I'm extremely hopeful for her recovery. As we can keep her caloric intake, fluids and injections up, she still has the will to survive. Thanks for all the good wishes!

 

[GreytNut]

How is treatment going?

[3greytjoys]

Thanks for asking, Kristen. The best news: her stool formation improved significantly last month after finishing a variety of antibiotics; stabilizing her on one GI food that agrees with her system; and gradually reducing prednisone. We're working to taper her off prednisone before reevaluating/testing. (We held off on the oxygen chamber for the time being after seeing some improvements from her original symptoms.) Her most challenging symptoms during the past month appear to be caused from prednisone withdrawal. Her condition is still fragile. She has not been able to gain enough weight yet (now 21 pounds underweight). She just started mirtazapine; I'm hoping her appetite can be stimulated enough to carry her through the prednisone withdrawals. (I'm periodically spoon begging feeding when she's disinterested in eating on her own.) Her official prognosis is poor, but I'm more hopeful after seeing her significant hints of improvement.

 

Any experiences with mirtazapine treatments (including tapering off) are welcome, as are tapering off prednisone and the recovery period. Our hound's most challenging prednisone withdrawal symptoms have been tapering below 10 mg. She's needed to extend the duration of each tapering period, along with more gradual dosage reductions (e.g., doses reduced by 2.5 mg).

[Batmom]

Glad you've seen some improvement and hoping you see more soon.