ultrasonography

Multiple acquired portosystemic shunts (MAPSS) in dogs due to portal hypertension are not necessarily accompanied by hepatofugal flow in the normal tributaries of the portal vein

This is an issue I used to wonder about. When you see acquired shunts running, for example, from splenic to left renal veins….should flow in the gastrosplenic vein also be hepatofugal? That is, does blood flowing down the mesenteric vein from the guts continue into the main portal vein or does it all get diverted … Continue reading

28/07/2019 roger Internal medicine, ultrasonography

Normal bile acid stimulation test results in two dogs with (presumed congenital) extra-hepatic portosystemic shunts

Although this may not be a big surprise I can’t find any published accounts specifically documenting this phenomenon. The first case involves a 5 year-old MN Shih-tsu presented on account of haematuria. There was no history of preceding signs suggesting hepatic encephalopathy. No urinary abnormalities were identified on abdominal ultrasound. However, an extra-hepatic shunt vessel … Continue reading

19/07/2019 roger Internal medicine, ultrasonography

Unexpected causes of acute abdominal pain in dogs part II: immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia

Another dog I scanned this week presenting with abdominal pain proved to have IMHA. In human medicine, ‘severe abdominal and/or back pain’ is a recognised and not uncommon sign associated with this condition https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/anemia-hemolytic-acquired-autoimmune/ https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/hemolytic-anemia Putative causes include splenic and/or hepatic enlargement or compromised tissue perfusion/thromboembolic disease. Pulmonary thromboembolism would be another potential cause … Continue reading

18/06/2019 roger Internal medicine, ultrasonography

Unexpected causes of acute abdominal pain in dogs part I: hypoadrenocorticism

This is poor Paddy: presented with several day hunched attitude, apparent abdominal pain, stiff gait, unwilling to move. His routine haematology and biochemistry are pretty unremarkable. Same goes for thoracic and abdominal ultrasound except that his left adrenal is only 2.5mm wide at maximum. And his heart is looking a little … Continue reading

18/06/2019 roger Internal medicine, ultrasonography, Uncategorized

Idiopathic gastric ulceration in dogs (and in Labradors in particular) and sonographic appearance of gastric intraluminal blood clots

Reading most texts you’d get the impression that gastric ulceration in dogs is invariably secondary to something: hypoadrenocorticism, NSAIDs, gastrinoma, mast cell tumour, renal insufficiency and the like. https://www.msdvetmanual.com/digestive-system/diseases-of-the-stomach-and-intestines-in-small-animals/gastrointestinal-ulcers-in-small-animals As the years go by I realise that a large proportion of the cases that I see remain unexplained; and many of these patients go on … Continue reading

16/06/2019 roger Internal medicine, ultrasonography

Canine cholecystitis without icterus: an indication of biliary rupture. And sonographic features of emphysematous cholecystitis.

We now have two nice published case series of canine cholecystitis, cholangitis and/or cholangiohepatitis: J Vet Intern Med. 2016 Jul;30(4):1046-55. doi: 10.1111/jvim.13974. Epub 2016 May 20. Bacterial Cholangitis, Cholecystitis, or both in Dogs. Tamborini A1, Jahns H1, McAllister H1, Kent A2, Harris B2, Procoli F3, Allenspach K3, Hall EJ4, Day MJ4, Watson PJ2, O’Neill … Continue reading

26/03/2019 roger Internal medicine, ultrasonography

Reversible apparently glucocorticoid-induced ascites in two dogs

This is the second dog I’ve seen with presumed immune-mediated thrombocytopaenia treated with high doses of prednisolone which developed marked hepatomegaly accompanied by significant volume of ascites. Both cases received a total daily oral prednisolone dose of 4mg/Kg and developed ascites consisting of modified transudate within one week. Sonographically the liver was markedly enlarged … Continue reading

26/03/2019 roger Internal medicine, ultrasonography

Do we still believe that the EPIC study was helpful? When are we using pimobendan in dogs with mitral valve disease in early 2019?

Time has moved on a bit. We’ve had the benefit of a chance to reflect on EPIC: J Vet Intern Med. 2016 Nov;30(6):1765-1779. doi: 10.1111/jvim.14586. Epub 2016 Sep 28. Effect of Pimobendan in Dogs with Preclinical Myxomatous Mitral Valve Disease and Cardiomegaly: The EPIC Study-A Randomized Clinical Trial. Boswood A et al. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jvim.14586 The … Continue reading

17/03/2019 roger cardiology, Internal medicine, ultrasonography

Sonographic features of shoulder osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) in a dog

To add to the surprisingly-frequent useful indications for musculoskeletal sonography in companion animals. The defect in the articular cartilage of the humeral head is readily apparent. &nbs… Continue reading

04/03/2019 roger ultrasonography

Ultrasonographic features of acute canine lung lobe torsion

It’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to scan a lung lobe torsion case: since when my machine got upgraded. This patient is a young Whippet with a 24 hour history of acute-onset cough, tachypnoea and pleural effusion (modified transudate). Her echocardiogram is interesting. Although we have to take into account the fact … Continue reading

09/02/2019 roger cardiology, Internal medicine, ultrasonography