Nephrectomy in 52 dogs for the treatment of Dioctophyme renale infection – knowing the enemy to win

•Dioctophyme renale is often asymptomatic in dogs, but can cause hematuria.•The giant red kidney worm can be effectively treated by nephrectomy in dogs.•Dogs with renal dioctophymosis can survive more than 27 days without complications from the parasitosis.•Hemorrhages are the most frequent complication of the nephrectomies in dogs with D. renale. Dioctophyme renale (D. renale) is a nematode that parasitizes the kidney of mammals. Treatment is often surgical, with removal of the affected organ. This retrospective study aims to evaluate the epidemiological, clinical, and surgical aspects, the interval between diagnosis and treatment, the occurrence of pre- and intraoperative complications, and the postoperative survival time of dogs parasitized by D. renale undergoing therapeutic nephrectomy. Records of fifty-two dogs treated in a single hospital service were analyzed. We collected epidemiological data, laboratory results, diagnostic method, anesthetic protocol, surgical technique and time, type of antimicrobial prophylaxis, pre- and intraoperative complications, location and number of parasites, and postoperative survival time. Of the 52 dogs undergoing right nephrectomy by laparotomy, 61.5% were female and 63.4% were adults. Although the most common clinical sign was hematuria (25%), 61.5% of the patients were asymptomatic. Eosinophilia and increased serum urea were the only laboratory changes found. The interval between diagnosis and surgery was 27.4±23 days and no patient showed changes suggestive of surgical emergency. The most common surgical approach was the right paracostal (61.5%), and a continuous suture pattern was predominant. Intraoperative complications occurred in 9.6% of the procedures, varying from mild to severe hemorrhage. Mean postoperative survival was 835.5±428 days. Dioctophymosis was effectively controlled by nephrectomy of the affected kidney, allowing a mean survival of more than 830 days. No serious complications caused by intervals between diagnosis and treatment have been reported. This is the largest retrospective study evaluating dogs infected with D. renale that were surgically treated.