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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Life-threatening gunshot injuries in an adult Vizsla dog

By Bérengère Cyrielle Hadrienne Gremillet et al.·Published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science·2026·Vet Radiology, Le Bessat, France, CH·View original on DOAJ

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Original publication title: Case Report: Multisystemic life-threatening gunshot injuries in an adult Vizsla dog

Species:
dog
Stomach & digestionDogs

Plain-English summary

An 8-year-old male Vizsla was brought to the emergency vet after suffering serious injuries from a gunshot. The dog had life-threatening damage to his heart, lungs, and digestive system, along with some injuries to his kidney and retained pellets in his body. The veterinary team quickly stabilized him and performed surgeries to repair the damage. Thanks to their prompt and targeted treatment, the dog made a full recovery and is now doing well.

People also search for: Vizsla gunshot injury treatment · dog emergency surgery recovery · signs of internal bleeding in dogs

Abstract

An 8-year-old male Vizsla dog was presented to the emergency and critical care unit due to polytraumatic injuries from a rifle shot. Multimodal diagnostic imaging revealed life-threatening injuries affecting the cardiovascular, respiratory, and gastrointestinal systems. Less severe injuries to the left kidney and retained pellets in the peritoneum and musculoskeletal system were also identified. Lesion triage and targeted treatment—including emergency stabilization, thoracotomy (subtotal pericardiectomy), and abdominal laparotomy (enterotomies and gastrotomy)—combined with tailored medical management resulted in dog’s full recovery.

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Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2025.1701142