Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with belly bleeding from liver lesions healed after surgery
By Berkowitz, Steven T et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)·2016·Oradell Animal Hospital·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Resolution of spontaneous hemoabdomen secondary to peliosis hepatis following surgery and azithromycin treatment in a Bartonella species infected dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old mixed breed dog was brought to the vet because she was very tired and vomiting. An ultrasound showed she had a lot of blood in her abdomen, which was confirmed during surgery, revealing blood-filled lesions on her liver. Tests showed she had an infection from a bacteria called Bartonella. After treatment with the antibiotic azithromycin, her infection cleared up, and she showed no signs of further bleeding in the abdomen during follow-up visits a year later.
People also search for: dog vomiting and lethargy · dog blood in abdomen treatment · Bartonella infection in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe a case of hemoperitonium in a dog with Bartonellosis and peliosis hepatis (PH) lesions that resolved following antimicrobial therapy. CASE SUMMARY: A 3-year-11-month-old 22.5 kg female spayed mixed breed dog presented for progressive lethargy and vomiting. An abdominal ultrasonographic examination revealed moderate ascites, which when sampled was nonclotting hemorrhagic fluid. An exploratory laparotomy revealed a large volume of nonclotted blood in the dog's abdomen and blood-filled vesicular lesions dispersed diffusely along multiple lobes of the liver. Biopsies revealed lesions indicative of PH. Serology testing for Bartonella species was positive. Treatment with azithromycin resulted in Bartonella serology negative status and no further evidence of hemoperitonium at recheck examination 12 months after initial presentation. NEW OR UNIQUE INFORMATION PROVIDED: This is the first reported case of PH and hemoperitoneum in a Bartonella species serology positive dog wherein treatment with azithromycin resulted in serology negative status. There have been no subsequent episodes of hemoperitoneum in the 12 months since treatment.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27074964/