Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Maltese dog with liver shunt and heart defect diagnosed at 1 year
By Kim, Dongwook et al.·Published in Open veterinary journal·2021·Veterinary Teaching Hospital, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Congenital portosystemic shunt concurrent with an atrial septal defect in a Maltese dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 1-year-old male Maltese dog was brought in for evaluation of a congenital portosystemic shunt (a blood vessel issue) that had been diagnosed earlier. After surgery to correct the shunt, the dog initially did well but later developed exercise intolerance. Further tests showed that he had an enlarged heart and a condition called pulmonary hypertension, along with a heart defect known as an atrial septal defect. This case highlights the importance of checking for other heart problems in dogs with vascular issues, as they can occur together.
People also search for: Maltese dog congenital shunt treatment · dog exercise intolerance heart problems · atrial septal defect in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Portosystemic shunt and atrial septal defect (ASD) are generally congenital diseases in dogs. Rarely, dogs with congenital vascular anomalies could be related to other vascular anomalies. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 1-year-old male Maltese dog, neutered and weighing 1.7 kg, was brought in for an additional assessment of a congenital portosystemic shunt (CPSS). CPSS was diagnosed as portocaval shunt by computed tomography. Surgical attenuation was performed. Although prognosis after CPSS attenuation was good, the dog was presented with exercise intolerance 1 year after the operation. Thoracic radiographs observed generalized cardiomegaly. Echocardiography revealed pulmonary hypertension and right-to-left shunting ASD. CONCLUSION: The present study reports a rare case of CPSS concurrent with ASD in a dog. As dogs with CPSS might have been associated with other vascular anomalies; therefore, echocardiography is recommended for early diagnosis of other cardiovascular anomalies.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35070869/