Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with gas in colon walls seen on X-rays and scans
By T.S. Hwang et al.·Published in Veterinární Medicína·2016·College of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Animal Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea, CZ·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: Pneumatosis coli in a dog - a serial radiographic study: a case report
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 12-year-old female poodle was brought to the vet because she was straining to poop and passing thin, ribbon-like stools. Tests showed she had anemia and a bacterial infection in her gut. X-rays and ultrasounds revealed gas trapped in the walls of her colon, which led to a diagnosis of pneumatosis coli, a condition caused by bacterial overgrowth. The vet treated her with antibiotics for 17 days, and she started feeling better just three days into treatment. Follow-up imaging showed that the gas buildup had decreased significantly.
People also search for: dog straining to poop · poodle colitis treatment · dog intestinal gas causes
Abstract
A 12-year-old intact female poodle was presented with a history of an acute episode of tenesmus and passage of ribbon-shaped stools. Anaemia, leucocytosis, hypoalbuminaemia, hyperglycaemia, and elevated ALP were found. Faecal floatation and wet mount preparation were negative for parasites. Anaerobic faecal culture resulted in a heavy growth of Clostridium. Survey abdominal radiographs revealed extensive intramural emphysema of colon and rectum. Ultrasonography of the abdomen revealed bright echoes within the layers of the colon wall, confirming the accumulation of intramural gas. Abdominal computed tomography revealed extraluminal gas tracking along the colon and the rectum. Based on the radiographic, ultrasonographic, and computed tomographic findings, the present case was diagnosed as pneumatosis coli with an underlying cause of bacterial overgrowth. The patient was treated with antibiotics for seventeen days. Clinical signs were resolved after three days of treatment. Decreased intramural gas accumulation was evident during radiography of the abdomen performed at fourteen days after the initial evaluation. Therefore, pneumatosis coli should be considered when a dog is presented with clinical signs of colitis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.17221/255/2015-VETMED