PetCaseFinder

Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Spontaneous gastroduodenal perforation in 16 dogs and seven cats (1982-1999).

Journal:
Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association
Year:
2002
Authors:
Hinton, Laura E et al.
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences · United States

Plain-English summary

This study looked at 23 dogs and cats that had a serious condition called spontaneous gastroduodenal perforation, where a hole forms in the stomach or the first part of the intestine. Among the animals, 63% of dogs survived, while only 14% of cats did. Rottweilers younger than 5 years were more frequently affected. Dogs often showed signs of gastrointestinal bleeding, but cats did not, and shock was rare in dogs. The findings suggest that the usual tests may not be very good at catching this problem early, and that the severe symptoms we might expect after such a perforation don't always appear.

Abstract

The records of 23 dogs and cats diagnosed with spontaneous gastroduodenal perforation (GDP) were retrospectively reviewed. Survival was 63% in dogs and 14% in cats. Rottweilers <5 years of age were overrepresented. Clinical evidence of gastrointestinal bleeding was common in dogs but not in cats. Shock was an uncommon presenting condition in dogs and was not closely linked to outcome. In fact, progression of an ulcerating lesion to GDP was not associated with marked changes in symptoms exhibited by many patients in this study. Most GDPs were associated with histopathological evidence of subacute or chronic peritoneal reaction at the time of diagnosis. This suggests that diagnostic methods employed lacked sensitivity in identifying early perforating lesions, and that dramatic signs of acute abdomen following gastroduodenal perforation may not be as common as was previously thought.

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: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11908837/