Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with reversed organs had stomach twist and heartworm disease
By Stokowski, Scott et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2026·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus and Heartworm Disease in a Dog With Situs Inversus.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old spayed female bloodhound was brought in because her belly was swollen, and she seemed uncomfortable. X-rays showed that her stomach was twisted and enlarged, and she also had heartworm disease. During surgery, the vet found that her organs were reversed (a condition called situs inversus) and successfully untwisted her stomach, securing it in place to prevent future issues. After treatment, she recovered and was sent home.
People also search for: dog swollen belly · bloodhound heartworm treatment · gastric dilatation volvulus surgery · dog situs inversus condition
Abstract
A 7-year-old spayed female bloodhound was evaluated due to concern for gastrointestinal obstruction. Physical examination revealed a distended abdomen with mild cranial abdominal discomfort on palpation. Thoracic radiographs revealed cardiac silhouette enlargement with a "D"-shaped appearance and pulmonary arterial distension. Abdominal radiographs revealed a gas-distended stomach with craniodorsal displacement of the pylorus in the left lateral projection. Heartworm disease was diagnosed via the SNAP heartworm antigen test. Situs inversus totalis with concurrent gastric dilatation and volvulus was confirmed surgically during exploratory laparotomy. The stomach was de-rotated, and an incisional gastropexy was performed. The patient survived to discharge.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42011803/