Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Puppy Great Dane with severe swelling from lymphatic defects
By Bray, Christina Whitley et al.·Published in Topics in companion animal medicine·2022·Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Diagnosis and Conservative Management of Primary Lymphedema Resulting From Multiple Aplastic Lymphocenters in a Dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 6-week-old male Great Dane was brought in because he had severe swelling in his head, neck, limbs, and tail since birth. After tests, the vet found that he had a problem with his lymphatic system, leading to a condition called lymphedema. To help manage his symptoms, the vet recommended a low-fat diet, medications like rutin and furosemide, and the owner used compression socks and massage therapy. Over two years, the dog needed some hospital visits for infections but overall, he was successfully managed without surgery.
People also search for: Great Dane lymphedema treatment · dog swelling in limbs · puppy edema management
Abstract
A 6-week-old 7.4-kg (16.3-lb) sexually intact male Great Dane with a history of severe peripheral edema within the head, neck, limbs, and tail since birth was referred for further evaluation. A whole-body computed tomography examination documented severe subcutaneous edema multifocally associated with numerous hypoplastic and aplastic lymphocenters, particularly the left axillary, iliosacral, inguinal, and popliteal lymphocenters bilaterally. A congenital anomaly of the lymphatic system resulting in lymphedema was strongly suspected. The dog was managed with a combination of low-fat diet, rutin, and furosemide initially. In addition, the owner used a combination of compression socks and therapeutic massage several times daily along with carprofen and gabapentin for pain and inflammation. The patient was hospitalized to receive supportive care several times over a 2-year period for treatment of fever associated with cellulitis resulting in secondary wounds and infections. To the author's knowledge, this report represents the first case of presumed congenital lymphedema diagnosed with computed tomography and successful long-term medical management without surgical intervention.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35263676/