A while ago I wrote a post reporting cases of dogs with a history of pancreatitis who have multiple apparently cystic lesions within their hepatic and pancreatic lymph nodes. Cavitated hepatic lymph nodes associated with previous pancreatitis in dogs Obviously association is not necessarily causation. However, my impression is that the association is strong … Continue reading
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
