Oral amebiosis caused by Entamoeba gingivalis, mimicking canine chronic ulcerative stomatitis in a four-year-old Basenji dog

Protozoan diseases within the oral cavity of companion animals are quite rare, and such cases are not common in veterinary cytology. In this case report, we describe a case of oral cavity amebiasis in a four-year-old Basenji dog with signs of severe generalized stomatitis and bilateral mandibular lymph node enlargement. In touch imprint cytologic samples, among inflammatory and epithelial cells, protozoa with morphologic features characteristic of Entamoeba gingivalis were found. After diagnosis the patient was successfully treated with a combination of local and systemic metronidazole two times per day for three weeks. Therefore, in cases of generalized gingivostomatitis in dogs, there is reason to suspect the presence of protozoal agents and pay more attention to evaluating touch imprint smears from the oral cavity.