Urinary tract infection as nidus for systemic spread and septic arthritis.

A 12-year-old bearded collie was diagnosed with septic arthritis. The same beta-hemolytic streptococcus was cultured from the joint, blood, and urine. With arthritis, it is important to search for an inciting cause (this case, urinary tract infection) and to differentiate infectious from immune-mediated disorders, as treatment may be very different.