Neospora Caninum Infection in Dogs Neospora caninum is a
parasite similar in form to Toxoplasma gondii. Under microscopic
examination, the N. caninum sporozoite (the body of the
parasite) closely resembles the T. gondii sporozoite, and the
the two diseases share many of the same symptoms. However, the
N. caninum infection has a more severe impact on a dog's
neurological and muscular system than T. gondii does. This
infection naturally leads to the development of neosporosis, the
medical term for a diseased state that has been caused by the
death of cells and living tissue (an incident known as necrosis)
in response to the invasion of N. caninum. It is associated with
tissue damage from the rupture of a cyst and subsequent invasion
of tachyzoite microorganisms – the stage at which the sporozoite
organism multiplies rapidly in the tissues throughout the body.
The life cycle of the N. caninum parasite is unknown, but it
known to be transmissible during fetal development and birth.
Puppies are most commonly diagn