Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Risk factors for intestinal rupture after dog bowel surgery
By Donati, Pablo A et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2025·1Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Preoperative septic peritonitis, hypotension, and reason for surgery are risk factors for small intestine dehiscence in dogs: a directed acyclic graph approach.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs undergoing surgery for intestinal issues was studied to find out what factors might lead to complications after the operation. It was found that dogs with preoperative septic peritonitis (an infection in the abdomen) were much more likely to experience a serious problem called intestinal dehiscence, where the intestines come apart after surgery. Dogs that had low blood pressure during their hospital stay also faced a higher risk. Interestingly, dogs that had surgery to remove foreign objects had a lower chance of this complication. Monitoring and managing blood pressure in dogs with septic peritonitis could help prevent these issues.
People also search for: dog intestinal surgery complications · septic peritonitis in dogs · low blood pressure in dogs after surgery
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate risk factors for postoperative intestinal dehiscence, adjusting for potential confounders identified through directed acyclic graphs (DAGs). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted of dogs undergoing small intestinal surgery at a private referral center between July 2011 and July 2024. Directed acyclic graphs were used to identify risk factors, confounders, and mediators, with regression models developed to adjust for these confounders. RESULTS: A total of 55 dogs were included in the study. Of these, 11 dogs (20%) developed postoperative intestinal dehiscence. After adjusting for the time from clinical signs to surgery and the reason for surgery, dogs with preoperative septic peritonitis (PSP) had higher odds of dehiscence compared to those without PSP (OR, 40.7; 95% CI, 4.4 to 2,142). After adjusting for PSP, dogs with hypotensive events during hospitalization had higher odds of dehiscence compared to those without hypotension (OR, 15.6; 95% CI, 1.2 to 975). Additionally, dogs undergoing surgery for foreign body removal had lower odds of experiencing postoperative intestinal dehiscence compared to those with other reasons for surgery (OR, 0.2; 95% CI, 0.0 to 0.9). Serum albumin concentration, enterectomy, and vasopressor use were not independently associated with dehiscence. CONCLUSIONS: DAGs identified multiple risk factors for dehiscence, along with potential confounders and mediators. Regression analysis confirmed that PSP, hypotensive events, and surgery type were independent risk factors for postoperative dehiscence. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Close monitoring of dogs with PSP and careful blood pressure management may help reduce the risk of postoperative dehiscence.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40239696/