Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with rare artery defect causing swallowing and vomiting problems
By T.G. Tavares et al.·Published in Arquivo Brasileiro de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia·2020·View original on DOAJ →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Aberrant right subclavian artery in a dog ˗ case report
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old Dalmatian was brought to the vet after showing signs like drooling, vomiting, not wanting to eat, and difficulty swallowing. Tests revealed that he had megaesophagus (a condition where the esophagus is enlarged and doesn't function properly) and aspiration pneumonia (a lung infection caused by inhaling food or liquid). Unfortunately, despite treatment efforts, the dog did not improve, and the owner made the difficult decision to euthanize him. A post-mortem examination showed that the dog's right subclavian artery was abnormally positioned, which contributed to the esophagus's problems.
People also search for: Dalmatian vomiting · dog megaesophagus treatment · why is my dog drooling and not eating
Abstract
ABSTRACT The brachiocephalic trunk and the left subclavian artery originate from the aortic arch, and both supply blood to the head, neck, and thoracic limbs. Anatomical variations, such as an aberrant right subclavian artery, are congenital conditions rarely observed in dogs, Thus, the objective of the present report was to describe a case of aberrant right subclavian artery in a 9-year-old Dalmatian. However, this anomaly was a finding in which the patient was asymptomatic during its 9 years of life and only at this age did he exhibit signs including sialorrhea, vomiting, hyporexia, and noisy deglutition. Blood count, biochemical profile, and thoracic radiography led to a diagnosis of megaesophagus and aspiration pneumonia. Despite the recommended treatment, the patient did not respond well; as such, the owner elected to euthanize the animal. On necropsy, the right subclavian artery originated directly from the aortic arch, followed a route from left to right dorsally to the esophagus, and then formed an impression of the vascular path over the muscular wall of the esophagus. The esophagus, in turn, exhibited a flaccid wall and dilation in the caudal portion to the vascular path made by the ectopic position of the right subclavian artery.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-4162-12078