Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog develops bilious abdomen after preventive stomach surgery and gut
By Dinallo, Gina K & Zuckerman, Joshua S·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2024·Emergency and Critical Care Department, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Bilious abdomen development in a dog following prophylactic incisional gastropexy and a hollow viscus distension event.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old male Labrador was brought in for severe abdominal swelling and vomiting after undergoing a preventive surgery called gastropexy. This condition, known as bilious abdomen, can be life-threatening and is often linked to other health issues. In this case, the dog's bile duct was likely affected by pressure from a distended organ, leading to bile leakage into the abdomen. After a second surgery to address the issue, the dog was treated successfully and showed signs of recovery.
People also search for: dog vomiting after surgery · Labrador abdominal swelling · bilious abdomen treatment in dogs
Abstract
Bilious abdomen is an uncommon but life-threatening condition that has not previously been associated with prophylactic gastropexy. In animals, bilious abdomen is associated with a high mortality rate, due in large part to resulting bile peritonitis. Most bilious abdomen cases in veterinary medicine occur secondary to underlying gallbladder disease or blunt abdominal trauma. This case report describes an instance of atraumatic bilious abdomen with no evidence of primary hepatobiliary disease. Prophylactic incisional gastropexy was performed on a dog within 72 h of its developing bilious abdomen. It is possible that undergoing a gastropexy increased tension on the common bile duct, but no known direct surgical trauma to the duct occurred. The cause of bile leakage in this case is suspected to be secondary to trauma from a distended hollow viscus. Findings at the time of the second surgery support this conclusion. Key clinical message: This case suggests a novel mechanism for the development of bilious abdomen in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38164372/