Incidental finding of Dioctophyme renale (Goeze, 1782) (Nematoda: Dioctophymatoidea) in a stray dog in the city of Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – case report

Dioctophymosis is a parasitic disease that affects dogs and is caused by the giant kidney worm Dioctophyme renale (Goeze, 1782), which can cause irreversible damage, such as partial destruction of the renal parenchyma or total loss of the organ. This paper reports an incidental finding of dioctophymosis in a stray female dog in the city of Seropédica, RJ, in May 2024. Ultrasound examinations were essential for the clinical diagnosis, revealing the parasite in the right kidney. The animal was submitted to nephrectomy at the Small Animal Veterinary Hospital of the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, where a 55-cm-long adult female parasite was removed. After surgery, the dog presented a satisfactory recovery.