Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Lung lobe torsion causing breathing trouble in young male dogs
By Latimer, Christian R et al.Ā·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical AssociationĀ·2017Ā·View original on PubMed ā
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Original publication title: Lung lobe torsion in seven juvenile dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Seven young male dogs, including Pugs, a Chinese Shar-Pei, and a Bullmastiff, were brought to the vet with breathing problems (dyspnea) and tiredness (lethargy) that lasted from one to ten days. Tests showed signs of infection and anemia in most of them. The dogs were diagnosed with lung lobe torsion, a serious condition where a part of the lung twists, and all underwent surgery to remove the affected lung lobe. Fortunately, all the dogs recovered well and were discharged within a couple of days, with no signs of the problem returning in follow-up visits.
People also search for: dog breathing problems Ā· Pug lung issues Ā· juvenile dog surgery recovery Ā· lung lobe torsion treatment
Abstract
CASE DESCRIPTION 7 juvenile (< 12 months old) dogs with lung lobe torsion were evaluated. CLINICAL FINDINGS All patients were male; breeds included Pug (n = 5), Chinese Shar-Pei (1), and Bullmastiff (1). Dyspnea and lethargy were the most common initial complaints, with a duration of clinical signs ranging from 1 to 10 days. A CBC showed leukocytosis and neutrophilia in all dogs. Anemia was present in 6 dogs, 2 of which received packed RBC transfusions. The diagnosis was made on the basis of results of thoracic radiography, CT, ultrasonography, or a combination of modalities. The left cranial lung lobe was most commonly affected (n = 4), followed by the right middle lung lobe (2) and the right cranial lung lobe (1). TREATMENT AND OUTCOME A lateral intercostal thoracotomy with lobectomy of the affected lobe was performed in all patients. All dogs survived to be discharged between 1 and 2 days postoperatively. Six of 7 owners contacted for follow-up information 7 to 170 months after discharge reported satisfaction with the treatment and no apparent signs of recurrence of disease. CLINICAL RELEVANCE The juvenile patients of this report were successfully treated surgically with no apparent complications. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of lung lobe torsion when evaluating young dogs with clinical signs related to the respiratory system, including those with vague signs, to avoid undue delays in treatment.
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Search related cases āOriginal publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29190202/