Limy bile syndrome in a dog.

A 11-year-old spayed female golden retriever was examined because of lethargy, anorexia, vomiting and abdominal pain. Plain abdominal radiography showed a uniform radiopacity of the gallbladder. Ultrasonography demonstrated hyperechoic material in the gallbladder lumen associated with an acoustic shadow and findings consistent with acute pancreatitis. Fine-needle aspiration of the bile revealed bacterial cholecystitis. Following cholecystectomy, it was apparent that the gallbladder was filled with a semi-solid, pasty-like greenish-brown material composed of 80% calcium carbonate, consistent with a diagnosis of 'limy bile'. After surgery and medical treatment, the dog's condition improved. Two months after discharge, the dog had fully recovered a good appetite and no relapse has been observed after 11 months of follow-up. To our knowledge, this is the first report of limy bile syndrome in a dog.

Blood flows in tributaries of the portal vein: anatomical and angiographic studies in normal beagle dogs.

Liver anatomy, particularly its vascularization, has been investigated in many studies in dogs. Knowledge of blood flow from the main tributaries of the portal vein (PV) is necessary to explain the preferential sites of secondary lesions within the liver based on the site of the initial malignant lesion. How these flows come together was established in an earlier ex vivo study. Here, we highlight in vivo the blood flows from the main PV tributaries and their distribution in the liver of normal dogs. Portographs of the main PV tributaries were obtained in seven dogs after injection of an angiographic contrast medium. After euthanasia, the livers and their portal vascularization (PV and tributaries) were extracted for a comparative corrosion cast study. Flows were demonstrated in the cranial mesenteric vein, caudal mesenteric vein and splenic vein. However, no proper flow could be distinguished for the gastroduodenal and ileocolic veins. All these tributaries primarily supply the lateral liver lobes (right or left). Most of our observations indicate that the cranial mesenteric, caudal mesenteric and splenic veins primarily supply the right lateral lobe and the caudate process of the caudate lobe and secondarily the left lateral lobe, left medial lobe and the quadrate lobe. The two other tributaries (gastroduodenal and ileocolic veins) primarily supply the right lateral lobe and the caudate process of the caudate lobe.

Spontaneous recovery of experimental valgus deformity in lambs.

INTRODUCTION: Angular deformity in the growing skeleton of animals, especially in the radius and ulna, is occasionally seen in clinical practice. The mechanism of spontaneous correction of these angular deformities however remains to be elucidated. The purpose of our experiment was to explore the ability of a growth plate to correct an induced valgus deformity, and to study the mechanism of correction. METHODS: Before beginning the study, valgus deformity of the distal radius had been induced in lambs by the application of a device that causes asymmetrical compression of the growth plate. The study began after removal of the device and spontaneous correction of the induced deformity was observed weekly for 20 weeks. The angles of the deformity and longitudinal growth on the medial and lateral portions of the growth plate were respectively measured on craniocaudal and mediolateral radiographs. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Spontaneous correction of the valgus deformity occurred during the first 16 weeks. It resulted from asymmetrical growth characterised by restricted activity of the medial portion of the growth plate (14.8%) in comparison to the lateral portion of the experimental radius, and also in comparison to the medial portion of the control radius.

A case of dorso-medial luxation of the radial carpal bone in a dog.

Luxation of the radial carpal bone is an uncommon injury in the dog and cat. Previous clinical cases have reported palmaro-medial luxation with injury to the short radial collateral ligament. In this study a case of dorsomedial luxation of the radial carpal bone in a 10-year-old female Gordon Setter is described. A closed reduction of the luxation was performed and a conservative treatment was carried out. Thirteen months after the reduction, the dog had a satisfactory limb function, despite the presence of degenerative joint disease of the carpus. A pathogenic hypothesis for this dorso-medial luxation of the radial carpal bone is proposed reproducing the luxation on canine cadavers.