Case report(s)

A ten-month-old, intact, male Cavalier King Charles spaniel was presented two months after anabdominal bite incident with inspiratory dyspnea and positional pain. A diaphragmatic herniation wassuspected, based on absent lung- and cardiac sounds on auscultation of the left hemithorax. Radiographyconfirmed this but also showed the presence of severe tympany of a herniated stomach. This is calledtension gastrothorax and is an immediate life-threatening complication of the herniation. Because ofthe progressive worsening of the cardiorespiratory condition of the patient and the inability to intubatethe stomach, immediate surgical correction was necessary. A standardized surgical approach was usedto reposition the stomach and close the hernia. There were no postoperative complications and one yearafter the surgery, the dog was still doing well.

A six-year-old, male pygmy goat was referred with a sudden onset of peripherallymphadenopathy, which initially started as enlarged inguinal lymph nodes. Clinical examinationshowed swollen retropharyngeal, prescapular and inguinal lymph nodes. Serologic testing forbovine leukemia, caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus and caseous lymphadenitis was negative.Fine needle aspirates of the prescapular lymph nodes were taken and revealed multiple, largelymphoblastic cells on cytology. Because of the poor prognosis and clinical deterioration, theanimal was euthanized. Full necropsy was performed and showed generalized lymphadenopathy.Further histological and immunohistochemical investigation of the lymph nodes characterizedthis neoplasia as a multicentric large B-cell lymphoma.

 The pathological condition of the enthesis at the medial humerus epicondyle is referred to as flexorenthesopathy. Lesions include thickening, inflammation, fibrillation, partial rupture and calcificationof the enthesis. In this case report, the evolution of primary flexor enthesopathy in a 1,5-year-oldItalian cane corso is described. Several medical imaging techniques, i.e. radiography, ultrasound andcomputed tomography were used to diagnose primary flexor enthesopathy, in this case bilaterally. Anintra-articulair injection with methylprednisolone-acetate is regarded the standard treatment. The longterm follow-up was evaluated based on the clinical improvement, the size of the calcification and theincrease in osteoarthritis. 

A four-year-and-eight-month-old whippet was presented with a chronic skin wound situated at the medial aspect of the right elbow. Because of its chronic nature, the wound was initially carefully debrided and subsequently treated by means of negative pressure therapy. This fairly new technique offers a wide range of advantages that improve the healing capacities of a chronic wound. The beneficial effect of negative pressure wound therapy on the development of a nice granulation bed was clear. In order to optimize the final result, an autologous skin grafting (full-thickness free mesh graft) was performed. By applying negative pressure on the skin graft, a quick and solid attachment of the graft was achieved. After a period of four weeks, the wound was almost completely healed despite various earlier attempts to successfully treat that wound in the two-months period prior to referral.

In this case report, a paraneoplastic syndrome caused by testicular neoplasia in a ten-year-oldcryptorchid dog is described. Feminization and pancytopenia were observed, resulting from thetesticular neoplastic production of estrogens. A diagnosis of testicular tumor and associated bonemarrow suppression was made by ultrasonography and blood examination, with estrogen bloodlevels being severely elevated. Urinalysis revealed a urinary tract infection. Castration was performedtogether with a blood transfusion, and antibiotic treatment was started. After an initialimprovement, the dog died suddenly after approximately three weeks.In this report, the importance is highlighted of identifying clinical signs associated with feminizationin intact male dogs at an early stage, to avoid severe, potentially irreversible, hematologicalconsequences due to bone marrow suppression. Elective orchidectomy of both testes ishighly recommended in cryptorchid dogs as neoplastic transformation of the undescended testismay occur, with potentially fatal outcome.

Een dorsale verplaatsing van het colon over de milt-nierband is een vaak voorkomende oorzaak vankoliek bij het paard. Behandeling kan gebeuren door chirurgie, het rollen van het paard onder algemeneanesthesie of door toediening van fenylefrine. Een behandeling met fenylefrine, een α1-adrenerge stof,geeft vaak aanleiding tot beven en zweten. Uit de literatuur blijkt dat vooral paarden ouder dan 15 jaarhet risico lopen op een fatale bloeding in thorax of abdomen. Uitgaande van de veronderstelling dathet gebruik enkel risicovol is bij paarden ouder dan 15 jaar, wordt het product voornamelijk bij jongerepaarden ingezet. In deze casuïstiek wordt echter een ernstige epistaxis bij een zes jaar oude Quarterhorsebeschreven na intraveneuze toediening van 22,5 μg/kg LG fenylefrine.

A young male Rottweiler had neurological signs since birth. The dog had hypermetria on his frontlimbs, ataxia on his hind limbs and proprioception was reduced on the hind limbs as well. Computertomographic examination post myelography and MRI scans showed a long dorsal subarachnoidal diverticulumfrom cranial C2 up to cranial C5, causing compression of the spinal cord, thus explainingthe neurological signs. A cervical dorsal laminectomy was performed, followed by durotomy and marsupialization.Postoperative complications led to revision surgery and on top of that, the patient neededfive more days of mechanical ventilation. From then on, the dog was able to breathe on his own andhis neurological condition improved step by step. He made a full recovery and eleven months aftersurgery, he was still doing well.

A male, four-year-old, castrated Beagle was presented with ascites, tachypnee, partial anorexiaand lethargy. Through radiography, echocardiography and computed tomography, the diagnosis ofpericardial effusion and a peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia was made, where probably onlyomentum was herniated into the pericardium. Abdominocentesis and pericardiocentesis were performed.The peritoneopericardial diaphragmatic hernia was treated conservatively because, after one pericardiocentesis,no new pericardial effusion developed and the patient did well. At a control visit sixmonths later, the patient was active, playful and without recurrence of pericardial effusion.

In this case report, a presumably deliberate oral ivermectin intoxication is described on a veal farm,in the first week after arrival of the calves. All 330 calves, aged between two and four weeks, showedsevere depression, sternal to lateral recumbency, tremor and headshaking. Of the calves, 13.6% died.The remaining animals gradually recovered within five to seven days with supportive oral rehydrationtherapy. The source of intoxication was the milk replacer with an ivermectin concentration of 35 mg/kg. The serum of three affected calves contained ivermectin between 0.75 mg/kg and 1.1 mg/kg. Thesuspected oral dose of ivermectin was 1.75 mg/kg bodyweight for an average calf (40 kg). This reportdemonstrates that signs of oral ivermectin intoxication may occur in calves of two to four weeks of ageat a dose 8.75 times the registered therapeutic dose for subcutaneous administration in cattle.

A four-month-old, female Border collie was presented with a firm swelling of the left mandibularbody. The most important differential diagnosis for this type of lesion in a young dog consists of adentigerous cyst, a papillary squamous cell carcinoma or an odontoma. Intra-oral radiographs weretaken and a biopsy was performed to reach a diagnosis. Histopathologic examination revealed acompound ondontoma and the dog was surgically treated. Follow-up showed uneventful healing of thewound and no signs of recurrence were visible on the three-month postoperative radiographs.