Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with thickened hind legs linked to heart defect and bone disease
By Anderson, Timothy P et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2004·Affiliated Veterinary Specialists, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cardiogenic hypertrophic osteopathy in a dog with a right-to-left shunting patent ductus arteriosus.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old male Shetland Sheepdog was brought to the vet because his back legs were getting thicker and he had a bluish tint to the skin around his genitals. X-rays showed changes in his leg bones consistent with hypertrophic osteopathy, a condition often linked to heart problems. Further tests revealed he had a serious heart defect causing blood to flow incorrectly, which was likely the reason for his leg symptoms. Treatment focused on managing the heart condition, which is crucial for addressing the underlying issue.
People also search for: Shetland Sheepdog leg thickening · dog heart defect symptoms · hypertrophic osteopathy treatment in dogs
Abstract
A 5-year-old castrated male Shetland Sheepdog was examined because of progressive bilateral hind limb thickening. Cyanosis of the preputial mucous membranes was evident, whereas the oral mucous membranes had a normal color. A well-structured, palisade-like periosteal reaction with no underlying bone destruction was evident on radiographs of the hind limbs. The radiographic changes were consistent with hypertrophic osteopathy (HO). Severe right-sided cardiomegaly was seen on thoracic radiographs, and a diagnosis of patent ductus arteriosus with right-to-left shunting was made by means of echocardiography and contrast echoaortography. The cyanotic heart disease was believed to be the cause of the HO. Hypertrophic osteopathy has been associated with a number of diseases in animals and humans. In humans, congenital heart defects that cause cyanosis are among the most common causes of HO.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15124887/