Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with sudden leg swelling and bleeding from femoral artery rupture
By Carter, Andrew O & Turley, Kelsey·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2025·WestVet Animal Emergency and Specialty Center, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Suspected spontaneous femoral artery rupture in an otherwise healthy American pit bull.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 1-year-old male American pit bull was brought to the vet with lameness in his right back leg, swelling, and bruising, even though he hadn't experienced any trauma. Tests showed a possible issue with his femoral artery, and he needed multiple blood transfusions while the vet prepared for surgery, suspecting a serious problem. During surgery, the vet found and ligated a ruptured artery, and the leg was amputated. After the surgery, the dog recovered well, with no more bruising, and was walking normally at a follow-up visit two weeks later.
People also search for: dog leg swelling · pit bull lameness treatment · dog femoral artery rupture · dog amputation recovery · why is my dog limping
Abstract
A 1-year-old intact male American pit bull experienced a ruptured right femoral artery without trauma or coagulopathy. The dog was presented with right pelvic limb lameness and progressive subcutaneous swelling and bruising. Radiographs of the region identified soft-tissue swelling in the right thigh musculature. Bloodwork monitoring consisted of packed cell volume and total solids, which continued to decrease during hospitalization. A CT scan showed a non-contrast-enhancing possible mass effect in the region. Multiple blood and plasma transfusions were instituted while the dog was in hospital and in preparation for amputation of the limb due to concern for a neoplastic process. During surgery, upon removal of a blood clot, profuse hemorrhage from a branch of the femoral artery was noted. The artery was ligated and amputation completed without complication. After surgery, the packed cell volume returned to normal and no additional bruising was noted. Histopathologic examination of the amputated limb showed extensive subacute hemorrhage and hematoma formation. No evidence of neoplasia or inflammatory foci was noted. At a 2-week recheck, all bruising had resolved and the dog was walking well. Key clinical message: This case report describes the first diagnosis and treatment of a suspected spontaneous femoral artery rupture in veterinary medicine.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40170945/