Discospondylitis is a common cause of spinal pain in young to middle aged dogs. German Shepherds have been over represented, likely due to their immune deficiency. We’ve all probably seen a case or two of bacterial discospondylitis, but did you know fungal discospondylitis is also a worry? A study by Okonji S et al, published in JVIM in 2025, looked specifically at the presentation, diagnostic tests, treatment and outcome of 11 dogs diagnosed with fungal discospondylitis.
This was a retrospective case series of 11 dogs with confirmed mycotic discospondylitis. The organisms found cytologically in urine (5 dogs: Aspergillus spp and Candida albicans.), surgical curettage (3 dogs: Aspergillus spp. And Penicillium spp.), CT guided disc aspiration (2: Aspergillus spp. And Saccaromyces spp.). One patient had fungal hyphae noted on CSF, but they didn’t classify what they were.

Clinical Presentation
German Shepherd Dogs were markedly overrepresented (7/11), reinforcing prior evidence of breed predisposition. Dogs were typically middle-aged (median age 5.1 years), medium-to-large breeds, aligning with systemic aspergillosis demographics. Spinal pain was universal (100%), and gait abnormalities occurred in 82% and were often progressive and chronic. Most dogs localized neurologically to T3–L3 (10/11), emphasizing that mycotic discospondylitis should be considered in painful thoracolumbar myelopathies, especially when progression is insidious.
Pyrexia and inflammatory markers were inconsistent: only ~50% showed neutrophilic leukocytosis and elevated CRP. All dogs with leukocytosis had an elevated CRP as well. This highlights that absence of systemic inflammation does not exclude mycotic discospondylitis.

Diagnosis
MRI was the most sensitive modality, detecting lesions missed or underestimated on radiographs. Multifocal discospondylitis predominated (median 2.5 discs; up to 10), which is more frequent than typically reported with bacterial discospondylitis. However, imaging findings were not specific for fungal versus bacterial etiology.

Treatment strategies and response
Itraconazole was the most commonly used antifungal (7 of 11 dogs), often combined with analgesics and empiric antibiotics. Fluconazole and Amphotericin B were the other antifungals tried in this population. While temporary clinical improvement occurred in some dogs, sustained response was rare. Prognosis was poor despite treatment, with 10/11 dogs dead at study end and a median survival time of only 30 days. Only one dog survived long-term (>3 years). Bottom of FormThis is pretty sobering, isn’t it? Although a less common cause of discospondylitis, mycotic discospondylitis should be on our radar when evaluating a dog with spinal pain especially if multifocal discospondylitis is evident on imaging.
Thanks for reading! Happy Hannukah to all who celebrate! As a heads up – I will be closed December 25-January 2nd. You’d think I’d take this time to go somewhere warm and relaxing, right? Nope! I will be trekking to lovely Pittsburg to enjoy my family and to watch my daughters compete in a dance competition. May your holidays be full of friends, family and fun! 😊