Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Outcomes of gallbladder removal in dogs with different gallbladder
By Cridge, Harry et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2026·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Characteristics and outcomes of dogs undergoing cholecystectomy for diseases other than a mature gallbladder mucocele: a retrospective cohort study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 256 dogs underwent surgery to remove their gallbladders due to various diseases, not just the common gallbladder mucocele. The dogs with gallbladder mucocele were older and had more severe health issues compared to those with other gallbladder problems. After surgery, most dogs with non-mucocele issues showed improvement, and they had a lower risk of dying within two weeks after the operation. This suggests that gallbladder surgery can be safe and effective for dogs with different gallbladder diseases, leading to better health outcomes.
People also search for: dog gallbladder surgery recovery · symptoms of gallbladder disease in dogs · cholecystectomy in dogs outcomes
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cholecystectomy is well described for gallbladder mucocele management, but its role in other gallbladder diseases is less well understood. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: Characterize and compare dogs undergoing cholecystectomy for mature gallbladder mucocele (M-GBM) versus "other gallbladder disease" (non-M-GBM). A secondary exploratory aim was to compare surgical complication and 10 to 14-day mortality rates between cohorts. ANIMALS: A total of 256 dogs undergoing cholecystectomy. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study (2018-2025). Dogs were assigned to M-GBM or non-M-GBM groups based on radiologist review of stored ultrasonographic images. Clinical, biochemical, histopathologic, and outcome variables were compared. Survival was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier curves and restricted mean survival time estimates. RESULTS: Sixty-nine dogs were classified as M-GBM and 187 as non-M-GBM. The M-GBM dogs were significantly older (11.0 ± 2.8 vs 8.7 ± 3.1 years; P < .001) and had higher white blood cell (13.8 ± 7.3 vs 10.0 ± 4.5 k/μL; P < .001), and neutrophil counts (10.5 ± 6.2 vs 7.3 ± 3.9 k/μL; P < .001), and ALT (148; interquartile range [IQR]: 55.2-402 vs 78; IQR: 42.5-278.5 U/L; P < .001) and ALP activities (446; IQR: 148-1860 vs 178; IQR: 59.5-786.8 U/L; P < .001). Fourteen-day mortality was significantly lower in the non-M-GBM cohort (3.2 vs 8.7%; P = .04). Post-surgical clinical improvement occurred in 83.7% of non-M-GBM dogs. Concurrent pancreatic and intestinal abnormalities were common. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Cholecystectomy was safe, associated with owner-perceived clinical improvement, and carried a lower short-term mortality rate in non-M-GBM dogs compared with M-GBM dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41990142/