Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in a Yorkshire terrier dog

A 14-month-old male Yorkshire terrier was presented to the Autonomous Unive rsity of Barcelona Veterinary Teaching Hospital because of a history of chr onic non-productive cough and acute dyspnea. A follow-up radiograph reveale d a diffuse, bilaterally interstitial-alveolar lung disease with presence o f air bronchograms. The dog died 5 h after admission with severe dyspnea, H istological sections of the necropsy specimens revealed the presence of cha racteristic Pneumocystis carinii cysts within alveolar spaces. A diagnosis of P. carinii pneumonia (PCP) was made on the basis of these results. To ou r knowledge, PCP has not been described in a Yorkshire terrier dog.