Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog coughing, gagging, and not eating - what was wrong?
By Liptak, Julius M & Brebner, Nicholas S·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2006·Department of Clinical Studies, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Hemidiaphragmatic reconstruction with a transversus abdominis muscle flap after resection of a solitary diaphragmatic mesothelioma in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old Siberian Husky was brought to the vet after experiencing coughing, gagging, and a decrease in appetite and activity for two weeks. Tests revealed a tumor on the diaphragm, which was surgically removed along with part of the diaphragm itself. To repair the diaphragm, the vet used a muscle flap from the dog's abdomen. The surgery went well, and the dog recovered quickly, returning to normal eating and activity levels. Unfortunately, about two months later, the dog developed new masses indicating that the cancer had spread, and the decision was made to euthanize the dog.
People also search for: dog coughing and gagging · Siberian Husky tumor treatment · dog diaphragm surgery recovery
Abstract
CASE DESCRIPTION: A 2-year-old Siberian Husky was evaluated because of a 2-week history of coughing and gagging and decreased appetite and activity level. CLINICAL FINDINGS: Radiography, surgery, and immunohistochemical examination revealed a solitary sclerosing mesothelioma extending from the left thoracic diaphragmatic surface that was adherent to the pericardium and the caudal mediastinum. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: The tumor was resected along with most of the left hemidiaphragm, and the left transversus abdominis muscle was used to reconstruct the diaphragm. The 13th rib formed the base of the muscle flap. The muscle flap was transposed into the defect so that the mesothelium-lined surface faced the thoracic cavity and the deep aspect of the muscle formed the abdominal surface of the diaphragm. To minimize risk of adhesions, the exposed raw aspect of the abdominal surface was covered with porcine small intestinal submucosa. Recovery was uncomplicated, and the dog's appetite and activity level soon returned to normal. Evaluation 54 days after surgery revealed 2 subcutaneous masses on the thorax and masses in the liver and both kidneys; histologic and immunohistochemical analyses revealed metastasis of the original tumor. The dog was euthanatized. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Hemidiaphragmatic reconstruction with a transversus abdominis muscle flap after resection of a diaphragmatic tumor was successful. The muscle flap was easily harvested and transposed into the diaphragmatic defect.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16618223/