Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Golden Retriever dog with paraparesis and lung nodules
By Aschenbroich, S et al.·Published in Veterinary pathology·2014·Department of Pathology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Paraparesis in a Golden Retriever.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old female spayed Golden Retriever was brought in with fever and trouble walking in her back legs for 10 days. Despite various tests, including X-rays and samples from different organs, the cause of her symptoms remained unclear. Unfortunately, her condition worsened, and euthanasia was chosen. A necropsy revealed multiple firm nodules in her lungs and other organs, leading to a diagnosis of a serious disease affecting her body. This case highlights the challenges in diagnosing complex health issues in pets.
People also search for: Golden Retriever back leg weakness · dog fever and trouble walking · dog lung disease symptoms
Abstract
A 7-year-old female spayed Golden Retriever dog presented with fever and a 10-day history of neurological signs, including ambulatory paraparesis and pelvic limb ataxia. Neurological examination initially revealed a T3-L3 myelopathy. Thoracic radiographs revealed a diffuse miliary pulmonary pattern. Endotracheal washes and fine-needle aspirates from several organs aimed at identifying a potential infectious agent or neoplastic process were all unsuccessful. Due to worsening of the clinical signs, euthanasia was elected. Necropsy findings included multifocal, pale to dark red, firm nodules infiltrating the lungs, heart, mesentery, pancreas, small intestine, brain, and spinal cord. Cytological examination of impression smears obtained from the pulmonary nodules during necropsy revealed clusters of epithelioid cells admixed with fewer spindle cells, erythrocytes, and scattered leukocytes. Clinical signs and cytological findings initially suggested the possibility of a widespread granulomatous disease or a metastatic epithelial neoplasm as possible clinical differentials in this case. The final diagnosis was based on the gross and histological findings, with confirmation following histochemistry and immunohistochemistry.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24193142/