Ovary cancer causing fluid buildup in a Nubian goat

Abstract

A 6-year-old Nubian doe was evaluated because of slowly progressive abdominal enlargement of 1 month's duration. Five days prior to examination at our hospital, the doe was examined by a local veterinarian. False pregnancy was suspected, and 10 mg of prostaglandin F2 alpha was injected IM. Abdominal distention did not decrease, and the doe did not develop a vaginal discharge. An additional 10 mg of prostaglandin and 24 mg of dexamethasone were injected IM, about 80 hours after the first injection, again without any apparent effect. On arrival at our hospital, the doe was in sternal recumbency and was too weak to stand unassisted. Its abdomen was distended. The body of the uterus and part of 1 uterine horn could be examined by means of transrectal ultrasonography, both appeared normal. The doe was admitted to the hospital, but its condition worsened, and it died during the night. Postmortem examination revealed approximately 30 L of clear, pale, straw-colored fluid in the peritoneal cavity. The caudal pole of the left ovary contained an indistinct, firm, slightly raised, gray-tan mass. The final diagnosis was mucinous adenocarcinoma of the ovary metastatic to the partietal peritoneum, pericardium, and lungs. In adult female goats with bilateral abdominal distention, hydrometra associated with false pregnancy should always be considered; however, if there is no response to prostaglandin administration, distention is more likely to be a result of ascites.