Rare occurrence of Spirocerca lupi in peritoneal cavity of a dog

The parasitic nematode Spirocerca lupi primarily affects dogs and other wild canid carnivores which is associated with oesophageal tumours. A 6 year old female dog presented to a private clinic in Hyderabad with dystocia, which finally ended up in the emergency caesarian section. While performing surgery nematodes were found in the peritoneal cavity, those worms were collected, preserved and processed in the laboratory for morphological confirmation of species. Grossly worms were reddish pink in colour and they were spirally coiled. On microscopic examination, it was identified as S.lupi worm showing characteristic trilobed lips, male worm with spicules, female worm with uterus filled with eggs and a blunt end tail region. On faecal examination capsule-shaped thick shelled eggs which have larvae within were found. Reports of S. lupi in the peritoneal cavity provides insight into the parasites biological behaviour but also has implications for diagnosis, differential considerations, awareness among clinicians and and expanding the spectrum of documented anatomical sites of infection.