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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Case Report: Intestinal Diverticulum in a Golden Retriever

Journal:
Veterinary Medicine and Science
Year:
2025
Authors:
Eppler, Emily & Motz, Alyssa
Affiliation:
Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital Akron Ohio USA · United States
Species:
dog

Plain-English summary

A 1-year-old female spayed Golden Retriever was brought in because she had been vomiting for two days and had been having diarrhea off and on for four months. Blood tests showed some liver issues and slightly high cortisol levels. X-rays of her abdomen suggested there might be some foreign material, but there was no blockage in her intestines. The owners decided to have surgery to explore her abdomen, where the vet found a firm, irregular structure that was causing a twist in part of her intestine. This structure was removed and was identified as a type of intestinal pouch with some bone-like changes. The treatment was successful in addressing the issue.

Abstract

ABSTRACT A 1‐year‐old female spayed Golden Retriever presented with a 2‐day history of vomiting and a chronic 4‐month history of intermittent diarrhoea. Blood work revealed hepatocellular hepatopathy with mildly elevated baseline cortisol. Abdominal radiographs revealed mineral opacities in the right caudal abdomen, suspicious for foreign material, but with no evidence of small intestinal obstruction. Owners elected to pursue exploratory laparotomy. A firm, tan, irregular structure was observed in the right caudal abdomen with a small adhesion to an adjacent loop of jejunum. The structure placed caudal tension on a loop of jejunum, causing a hair‐pin turn prior to the beginning of the ileum. The structure was removed en bloc and identified as a focal canine intestinal diverticulum with osseous metaplasia via histopathology.

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Original publication: https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.70426