The association of the helicobacter bacteria with gastric diseases in human beings and in some domestic pets and wild animals suggests these bacteria as a possible factor in the pathogenesis of gastritis in pet dogs. In this study we investigate the presence of Helicobacter spp. in the gastric mucosa of dogs and evaluate its association with some macro and microscopic findings, considering the age of the animals. Samples from cardia, fundus, body, and pylorus regions were collected from the stomach of 60 dogs for histopathologic examination, using hematoxilin-eosina (HE) and carbol-fucsina (CF) staining. The examinations detected Helicobacter spp. in 96.7% of the animals, revealing inflammatory infiltrate, predominantly mononuclear (100%), lymphoid nodules hyperplasia (98.3%), erosions/ulcerations (6.7%), hemorrhage (5%) and hyperemia (95%) in the samples stained with HE. There was no correlation between Helicobacter spp. infection and age of the animal, as well as between inflammatory changes and age in the presence of bacteria. Samples of the body and pylorus region showed increased presence of bacteria in the histopathologic examination (both 95%), followed by the fundus (91.7%) and the cardia (56.7%) regions. There was correlation between the number of Helicobacter spp. and both the number of inflammatory cells and lymphoid nodules in those regions, which suggest that the bacteria found in the gastric mucosa of dogs may be responsible for the alterations that characterize the gastritis.
dogs; gastritis; Helicobacter spp
