Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog died from infection after heart implant for patent ductus
By Beijerink, Niek Jozef et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2018·Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Netherlands·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Incomplete endothelialization of an intravascular implant and fatal late-onset bacterial ductal arteritis in a dog with occluded patent ductus arteriosus.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 18-month-old male Akita Inu developed a fever and started limping about eight months after a procedure to close a heart defect. Blood tests showed an infection caused by bacteria, and an ultrasound revealed issues with the heart valves. Unfortunately, the dog passed away just three days after showing these symptoms. A post-mortem examination found that the metal implant used in the heart procedure was not properly covered by the body’s protective tissue, leading to a severe infection. This case highlights the risks of incomplete healing after such procedures.
People also search for: dog fever and limping · Akita heart defect treatment · bacterial infection in dogs after surgery
Abstract
An 18-month-old male Akita Inu dog developed fever and lameness 8 months after successful transcatheter closure of a patent ductus arteriosus with an Amplatz Canine Duct Occluder (ACDO). Corynebacterium species were cultured from 3 blood samples. Echocardiography showed a vegetative process on the aortic valves. The dog died spontaneously 3 days after development of the initial signs. Necropsy confirmed the presence of bacterial ductal arteritis and myocarditis, and revealed an incomplete endothelialization of the intraductal metal implant. The reason for the lack of (neo)endothelialization of the ACDO remains unknown. We conclude that late-onset bacterial device-related ductal arteritis can develop in dogs where the implant is incompletely covered by a protective endothelial layer.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29524349/