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Vetdle Archive

Archive Case #78: Canine Leptospirosis

Dog veterinary case - Hard - May 20, 2026

Clinical Clues

  1. A dog is presented for fever, vomiting, lethargy, and marked thirst after frequent exposure to stagnant water.
  2. The owner reports reduced appetite and increasing weakness over several days.
  3. On examination the dog is painful over the abdomen and mildly dehydrated.
  4. Biochemistry shows both renal injury and liver involvement.
  5. Testing supports a systemic spirochaetal bacterial infection.
  6. Canine leptospirosis caused by Leptospira species can produce acute kidney injury, hepatic damage, and systemic illness.

Diagnosis

Canine Leptospirosis

This case is most consistent with Canine Leptospirosis because the dog has acute systemic illness with combined renal and hepatic injury after a relevant exposure. The most important clues are the water history and multiorgan biochemical changes, which make isolated gastroenteritis much less likely.

Learning review

Review the case evidence

Use the paired clues to explain how the evidence in this dog case supports the provided diagnosis, Canine Leptospirosis, then compare your reasoning with the case explanation.

Evidence checkpoints

Clues 1-2

  1. Clue 1: A dog is presented for fever, vomiting, lethargy, and marked thirst after frequent exposure to stagnant water.
  2. Clue 2: The owner reports reduced appetite and increasing weakness over several days.

Clues 3-4

  1. Clue 3: On examination the dog is painful over the abdomen and mildly dehydrated.
  2. Clue 4: Biochemistry shows both renal injury and liver involvement.

Clues 5-6

  1. Clue 5: Testing supports a systemic spirochaetal bacterial infection.
  2. Clue 6: Canine leptospirosis caused by Leptospira species can produce acute kidney injury, hepatic damage, and systemic illness.

Self-review prompts

  1. After clues 1-2, what evidence from this dog case shaped your initial interpretation?
  2. When you compare clues 3-4 with clues 1-2, what changed in your reasoning about Canine Leptospirosis?
  3. How do clues 5-6 align with the case explanation for Canine Leptospirosis?

Educational Use

Vetdle archive cases are educational veterinary games for diagnostic reasoning practice. They do not provide veterinary advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional medical guidance.