Caecal impaction and chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction in a dog

A 10-year-old female neutered cross-breed dog presented with a 4-month history of chronic intermittent diarrhoea and vomiting. Abdominal ultrasound showed dilated loops of small intestine and a suspected faecolith. Exploratory surgery revealed a caecal impaction and a typhlectomy was performed. Histopathological examination of caecal and full thickness small intestine sections demonstrated atrophy of smooth muscle fibres as well as an influx of plasma cells, lymphocytes and macrophages, and mild lymphoplasmacytic and eosinophilic enteritis. This combination of caecal impaction and chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction has not been reported previously in the dog.     

Chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction in an English bulldog

A case of chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction in an English bulldog is described. The dog was presented with chronic weight loss and vomiting. An intestinal obstruction was suspected based on clinical and radiological findings. A diagnosis of chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction was made on the basis of full thickness intestinal biopsies. The dog was refractory to any antiemetic therapy. Necropsy revealed marked atrophy and fibrosis of the tunica muscularis, together with a mononuclear cell infiltrate extending from the duodenum to the colon. This case was presented with clinical findings consistent with visceral myopathy in humans--namely, atony and dilatation of the whole gut--but the histological findings resembled sclerosis limited to the gastrointestinal tract.     

Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction in a horse: a case of myenteric ganglionitis

An 11-year-old Quarter horse mare was presented for recurrent episodes of colic. A chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction was diagnosed. Medical treatment and surgical resection of the colon were performed but the condition did not improve and the horse was euthanized. Histopathological examination revealed a myenteric ganglionitis of the small intestine and ascending colon.     

Chronic intestinal diseases in the dog: a review

The most commonly encountered chronic enteropathies in dogs are inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), food allergies, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Recent research in the field of immunopathogenesis of IBD and food allergy in human beings have made available new therapeutic options with immunomodulatory drugs. However, the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of canine IBD and food allergy have not been elucidated so far. Further studies focusing on the immunological dysregulation in the mucosa as well as clinical trials with new therapeutic modalities are needed to improve our knowledge and approach to these chronic diseases in dogs.     

Fibrosing gastrointestinal leiomyositis as a cause of chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction in an 8-month-old dog

An 8-month-old, female, mixed-breed dog presented to the Iowa State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital with a 1-month history of vomiting and diarrhea. An exploratory laparotomy was performed revealing markedly distended and fluid-filled small and large intestines that were not obstructed. The clinical condition of the dog did not improve subsequent to exploratory surgery, and it was euthanized. At necropsy, both the small and large intestines were distended (approximately 4 cm in diameter) and fluid-filled, and the wall was thin. The abdominal cavity contained approximately 500 ml of a brownish clear fluid. Microscopic lesions of the intestines were confined to the intestinal tunica muscularis and muscularis mucosae and consisted of locally extensive-to-diffuse replacement of the smooth muscle by fibrous tissue and multifocal infiltration by a moderately dense mononuclear inflammatory infiltrate. A unique finding was the presence of similar microscopic lesions in the tunica muscularis of the urinary bladder and stomach.     

Chronic small intestinal disease in the dog

New approaches to the investigation of chronic small intestinal disease have facilitated the identification and characterization of three enteropathies in the dog. The main features of these diseases are presented and diagnostic problems are discussed.     

Chronic diarrhea associated with intestinal anomalies in a six-year-old dog.

A 6-year-old mixed-breed dog was referred because of chronic diarrhea, which had begun after antibiotic treatment for pulmonary disease. Intestinal bacterial overgrowth was presumptively diagnosed on the basis of intestinal mucosal cytologic examination and low serum cobalamin concentration. When the diarrhea did not respond to treatment, contrast radiography was performed and a short small intestine was found. The diarrhea could not be managed by medical treatment, and the dog was euthanatized. Necropsy revealed 2 blind intestinal pouches attached to a 46-cm length of small intestine connecting the stomach and colon. The dog's deteriorating condition was attributable to necrosis and rupture of 1 of the pouches.     

Small intestinal ganglioneuromatosis in a dog

A 6-week-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross was presented with a 4-week history of vomiting and small bowel diarrhoea. Abdominal ultrasound showed thickening of the distal jejunum and ileum. The dog underwent two exploratory laparotomies, during which grossly abnormal sections of intestine were resected. The patient developed septic peritonitis 48 h after the second surgery, caused by dehiscence of an intestinal anastomosis, and was euthanased. All intestinal tissue samples were examined histopathologically and a diagnosis of gastrointestinal ganglioneuromatosis was made. Intestinal ganglioneuromatosis is rare and this case represents a novel occurrence in the small intestine of a dog.     

Equine myenteric ganglionitis: a case of chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction

A 4-year-old Standardbred mare was referred to the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine for colic evaluation. Physical examination revealed a small colon impaction which initially responded to conservative medical management. Her signs soon recurred, however, and an exploratory celiotomy was recommended. At surgery the small colon impaction was confirmed. The impaction was evacuated and a surgical biopsy was submitted for histopathologic evaluation. Microscopic examination of H&E and Trichrome sections revealed a massive mononuclear cell infiltration of the myenteric plexus. In addition, there was remarkable fibrosis within the neuropil of the myenteric ganglia and interganglionic fascicles. Postoperatively, the mares's colic signs recurred within two weeks and she was euthanatized. Samples of the proximal and distal small colon as well as the original biopsy site were obtained. Over the intervening two weeks, the inflammatory infiltrate within the myenteric ganglia had subsided, while the previous intraganglionic and fascicular fibrosis had increased substantially. The number of myenteric neurons appeared diminished when compared to age-matched controls. There was evidence of neuronal degeneration among the surviving neurons including central chromatolysis and cytoplasmic vacuolization. Furthermore, many degenerate axons were observed with the electron microscope. This scenario represents an equine example of chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIIP) which has been extensively described in the human literature. In this case, the syndrome arose as a consequence of recurrent inflammatory injury to the mare's enteric nervous system, thereby altering normal gastrointestinal motility. The ensuing neurogenic functional obstruction manifested as frequent bouts of small colon impactions. Equine CIIP should be considered in the differential diagnosis of colic.     

Chronic mesenteric volvulus in a dog

A chronic, partial mesenteric volvulus was found on laparotomy of an adult Bernese mountain dog with a 4-month history of intermittent vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss. The dog had elevated cholestatic and hepatocellular leakage enzymes, increased bile acids, azotemia, isosthenuria, and a hypokalemic, hypochloremic, metabolic alkalosis. The dog recovered fully following reduction of the volvulus.     

Chronic caecal faecolithiasis in a dog

A 14 year-old, spayed female Jack Russell terrier with a six month history of weight loss, lethargy, intermittent vomition and diarrhoea was diagnosed as having a chronic impaction of the caecum with mineralised faecal material. Diagnosis was based on the clinical findings and both survey and positive contrast radiographic studies. The diagnosis of caecal impaction was confirmed at surgery and a typhlectomy was performed with the aid of a linear stapler. Histopathology of the caecum confirmed the impaction to have resulted from faecolithlasis. The dog made a full recovery from the procedure, showing no recurrence of the clinical signs until euthanasia three months postoperatively for probable heart failure associated with mitral regurgitation.     

Chronic progressive autonomic dysfunction in a dog

A 3.5-year-old intact male American Pit Bull was presented because of urinary incontinence and dysuria. Constipation, followed by diarrhoea, ocular disturbances and finally regurgitation developed over the next 4 years. Autonomic dysfunction was evidenced by clinical presentation, as well as positive ophthalmic pilocarpine test and subnormal Schirmer tear test. Diagnosis, however, was established through histopathological and immunohistochemical examination. Lesions attributable to inflammatory degenerative neuropathy of the autonomic ganglia, which represents one of the various types of human autonomic failure, were detected.     

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a dog

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was diagnosed in a 3-year-old Basset Hound that was referred to the hospital because of respiratory distress. Results of radiography, bronchoscopy, and pulmonary function tests indicated lung hyperinflation, airflow restriction, and loss of elastic recoil of the lungs. Because of the poor response to treatment, the dog was euthanatized. Postmortem findings revealed emphysema, bronchiectasis, and bronchitis, which comprise chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.     

Multiple intestinal lymphomatous polyposis in a Jindo dog

A male, 5-year-old Jindo dog underwent enterectomy and enteroanastomosis due to ileus of the intestine at a local veterinary hospital. Grossly, the excised intestine showed markedly thickened multinodular masses in the serosal layer of the upper part, and soft-to-firm, cream-colored neoplastic masses that displayed extensive nodular mucosal protuberances into the lumen. The neoplastic masses were filled with large round cells that were ovoid in shape and they had pale and/or hyperchromatic nuclei. The neoplastic cells had mainly infiltrated into the mucosal and submucosal layers, and they had diffusely invaded the muscular and serosal layers. Therefore, the diagnosis of canine multiple intestinal malignant lymphomatous polyposis was made based on the gross and histopathological findings. The origin of these tumor cells was determined to be B-cells since they were positive for anti-CD20.