As criticalists, we frequently manage and treat septic peritonitis cases; this is typically due to disease or pathology in the gastrointestinal (secondary to a linear foreign body, ruptured neoplasia, etc.). Rarely, we'll see atypical causes for peritonitis aside from bacteria, like fungal etiologies (like Candida). So, in today's VetGirl podcast, we're going to discuss Candida peritonitis in dogs, and why dogs potentially develop this rare type of peritonitis! Now keep in mind that the diagnosis of Candida peritonitis is rare, especially given the rare number of case reports; however, it may be due to being under-diagnosed and/or under-represented. When in doubt, if you have suspicion of a Candida peritonitis, send peritoneal fluid to a clinical pathologist to evaluate! And remember to make a direct smear soon after obtaining the fluid and send that fresh, unstained smear in along with the fluid in a purple top tube. Early identification of organisms in fluid samples can allow you to start life-saving treatment faster and potentially improve clinical outcome! When in doubt, as soon as you diagnose Candida peritonitis, start intravenous fluconazole ASAP! Questions? You can always contact us via our Contact Us page.