Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae-lnduced Chronic Polyarthritis in the Dog

Rheumatoid arthritis is a naturally occurring disease in dogs, with no preference for any breed. The aetiology is unknown. Evidence that Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae may be one of the pathogens comes from a few spontaneous cases of canine polyarthritis from which this bacterium was isolated and in which affected animals had significant antibody titres [2, 4, 6, 7].