Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Delayed bleeding after surgery in an Irish Wolfhound with gene variant
By Court, Michael H et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2025·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Delayed postoperative hemorrhage (DEPOH) in an Irish Wolfhound with thec.605 T/T genotype: case description and variant prevalence across dog breeds.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old female Irish Wolfhound developed severe bruising on her belly just two days after undergoing surgery to spay her and prevent stomach twisting. Unfortunately, by the fourth day, she collapsed and died. A necropsy revealed extensive internal bleeding, but no obvious source was found. Genetic testing showed she had a high-risk genotype associated with delayed postoperative hemorrhage (DEPOH), which is a serious complication seen in some dog breeds, particularly sighthounds like Greyhounds and Irish Wolfhounds. This case highlights the importance of genetic screening in breeds at risk for this condition.
People also search for: Irish Wolfhound surgery complications · dog bruising after surgery · delayed postoperative hemorrhage in dogs
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Delayed postoperative hemorrhage (DEPOH) is a life-threatening complication of major surgical procedures in Greyhounds affecting up to 26-30% of dogs. DEPOH has also been reported in Scottish Deerhounds, but it is unclear whether any other breeds are affected. A genetic variant (c.605 C > T) was recently discovered in thegene that is currently used as a biomarker for increased risk of DEPOH. The objective of this study was to provide the first report of DEPOH occurring in association with thevariant in an Irish Wolfhound.variant prevalence was also surveyed across dog breeds to identify other breeds that may be at increased risk for DEPOH. METHODS: Case history and medical records from the affected dog were reviewed.genotypes were determined for this dog and for 63 different breeds (including 16 different sighthound breeds) using DNA samples from 4,044 pet dogs supplemented with publicly available genotype data. RESULTS: The reported case was a 2-year-old healthy female Irish Wolfhound who underwent ovariohysterectomy and prophylactic gastropexy procedures without complication. Two days later extensive bruising was noted on the ventral abdomen that spread to the torso by day 4 when the dog collapsed and died. Necropsy revealed extensive external and internal bruising with free and clotted blood in the abdomen. All ligatures were intact, and no sources of bleeding were identified. Subsequent genotyping indicated that this case was homozygous for theT/T high risk genotype. Greyhounds had the highest T/T genotype prevalence (29%), Irish Wolfhounds had the second highest prevalence (24%), and Scottish Deerhounds had the 8th highest prevalence (6%). Nine of 16 sighthound breeds had a T/T prevalence of at least 5%, while none of 47 non-sighthound breeds had a prevalence this high. Four non-sighthound breeds, including Shetland sheepdog, Newfoundland, English bulldog and French bulldog had a carrier (C/T or T/T) genotype prevalence over 20%. DISCUSSION: These results suggest that DEPOH could occur in most, but not all sighthound breeds. Some non-sighthound breeds might also be susceptible.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41280432/