Tyzzer's disease as a complication of canine distemper in a raccoon.

Intercurrent canine distemper and Tyzzer's disease were diagnosed in a mature raccoon (Procyon lotor) submitted for necropsy. Clinical, gross and microscopic findings char- acteristic of canine distemper virus (CDV), included ataxia, dyspnea, suppurative conjunctivitis, interstitial pneumonitis and generalized lymphocytolysis. Inclusion bodies typical of CDV infec- tion were present in many epithelial tissues. Acute multifocal hepatic necrosis and acute segmental necrotizing enteritis were attributed to the presence of Bacillus piliformis organisms in these lesions, confirmed by special stains and electron microscopy. This is apparently the first reported case of Tyzzer's disease in a raccoon.