An unusual case of nasal mucormycosis caused by Rhizopus oryzae in a German shepherd dog

This study represents an unusual case of mucormycosis localized in nasal cavity of a German shepherd dog. The patient was a 1-year-old male guard dog with unilateral nasal epistaxis, mucopurulent nasal discharge, sneezing and nose pawing. The dog had a history of head trauma about 2 months before admission, which was associated with mild self-limited epistaxis. Initial nasal rhinoscopy showed severe turbinate destruction. The samples of nasal discharge were collected by nasal flush technique and submitted to the Central Laboratory of School of Veterinary Medicine in Tehran for routine cytological, mycological and bacteriological examinations. Direct microscopic examination with 10% KOH/DMSO wet mount revealed the fragments of non-septate hyphae. The fungus was recovered in culture and identified as Rhizopus oryzae. This case showed that the veterinary practitioners should be aware of the possibility of localized nasal mucormycosis when examining dogs with chronic nasal discharge.