Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Great Dane with repeated stomach bloating and gut movement problems
By Spoo, Joseph W & Shelton, G Diane·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2014·Tea Veterinary Clinic·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Recurrent gastric dilatation and intestinal dysmotility possibly resulting from autonomic neuropathy in a Great Dane.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old female spayed Great Dane was brought in for repeated episodes of bloating (gastric dilatation) and problems with her intestines not moving properly (intestinal dysmotility), which even led to a serious case of stomach rupture. Despite various tests and treatments aimed at improving her gut health and movement, her condition continued to worsen, and she developed muscle wasting. Sadly, the owners chose to have her euthanized when it became clear that her health was not improving. A post-mortem examination revealed severe nerve damage in the vagus nerve, suggesting that an underlying nerve issue may have contributed to her gastrointestinal problems.
People also search for: Great Dane bloating treatment · dog intestinal motility issues · gastric dilatation in dogs causes
Abstract
A 5 yr old female spayed Great Dane was presented for recurrent episodes of gastric dilatation, intestinal dysmotility, and one episode of gastric rupture. Numerous hematologic, radiographic, and endocrine diagnostic tests were performed with no identifiable underlying cause. Many risk factors have been identified for gastric dilatation and most were present in this Great Dane. A number of symptomatic treatments, aimed primarily at altering the gastrointestinal tract flora and motility were tried, but failed to influence the clinical course of the disease. The dog continued to worsen, experienced more frequent episodes of gastric dilatation, and developed generalized muscle atrophy. Biopsies were collected from the biceps femoris and triceps brachii muscles. A pattern of denervation atrophy was evident in both muscles, consistent with polyneuropathy. The owners elected humane euthanasia and a necropsy was performed. A striking finding at necropsy was severe loss of myelinated fibers with extensive endoneurial fibrosis in the vagus nerve, consistent with an autonomic neuropathy. Autonomic neuropathy is a previously unexplored cause of gastric dilatation and intestinal dysmotility in dogs. These findings should open new directions for exploring pathogenic mechanisms for gastric dilatation in this species.
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/24659724/