Partial Gastric Obstruction Caused by Cajarana (Spondias cytherea Sonn) in Puppies - Imaging Techniques for Diagnosis

Background: Ingestion of foreign bodies is one of the most common cases seen among puppies of dogs in the medical clinics of small animals which may be related to their curious behavior. The diagnosis is based on the patient’s history, clinical signs, and complementary diagnostic imaging tests. The present case report describes the use of complementary imaging tests, showing a partial gastric obstruction caused by cajarana (Spondias cytherea Sonn) in a puppy.Case: At the Veterinary Hospital of the Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid Region, a 4-month-old male Yorkshire dog was treated. The guardian reported having witnessed the ingestion of a cajarana stone by the animal. During the physical examination, the animal was active, with good nutritional status, normocorated mucosae, and a moderate degree of dehydration, besides a slight pain on palpation in the epigastric region. Hematological examinations included blood counts, blood urea, creatinine, and alkaline phosphatase. A moderate degree of polycythemia was observed, which may be explained by the dehydration caused by the episodes of vomiting. The patient had frequent episodes of vomiting after the reported event and was then referred to the diagnostic imaging sector. During the sonographic examination, a concave echogenic interface associated with a posterior acoustic shadowing was observed in the region of the stomach. The animal was sent for simple radiographs and positive contrast based on barium sulfate due to the suspicion of the presence of a foreign body. On simple radiography, in the left laterolateral view, a little radiopaque structure of circular format with poor definition was observed in the pyloric region. After the simple radiography, approximately 10 mL of barium sulfate contrast was administered orally followed by a new left lateral radiographic imaging. On performing sequenced radiographs, a discrete barium contrast contour, oval in structure, located in the pyloric region was observed, even after gastric emptying for about 1 h, reinforcing the clinical suspicion of cajarana stone ingestion. In view of these results, the animal underwent a gastrostomy for the removal of cajarana, which measured about 2.5 cm in diameter. After the surgical procedure, the animal had a good clinical recovery.Discussion: The history of the animal along with clinical signs and imaging tests are of great assistance in the investigation of gastric foreign bodies. The most common type of foreign bodies found in the gastrointestinal tract of small animals are bones, but other atypical structures may also be found, as shown in this report. Radiography (simple and with contrast) is an imaging method widely used in veterinary medicine because of its low cost and clinical accessibility. It is important for the investigation of gastrointestinal obstructions, being of fundamental importance in the management of this case. Ultrasound examination also provides crucial information when foreign bodies are suspected since the formation of intense posterior acoustic shadow (described in this case) is one of the characteristic findings of this condition. Finally, the associated radiography and ultrasonography as diagnostic imaging for the investigation of foreign bodies in the gastrointestinal tract complement each other. Depending on the nature of the foreign body, a single imaging examination may not be satisfactory to suggest the presence of a foreign body with certainty

Semen quality, testicular B-mode and Doppler ultrasound, and serum testosterone concentrations in dogs with established infertility

Retrospective examination of breeding records enabled the identification of 10 dogs of normal fertility and 10 dogs with established infertility of at least 12 months of duration. Comparisons of testicular palpation, semen evaluation, testicular ultrasound examination, Doppler ultrasound measurement of testicular artery blood flow, and measurement of serum testosterone concentration were made between the two groups over weekly examinations performed on three occasions. There were no differences in testicular volume (cm3) between the two groups (fertile right testis = 10.77 ± 1.66; fertile left testis = 12.17 ± 2.22); (infertile right testis = 10.25 ± 3.33; infertile left testis = 11.37 ± 3.30), although the infertile dogs all had subjectively softer testes compared with the fertile dogs. Infertile dogs were either azoospermic or when they ejaculated, they had lower sperm concentration, sperm motility, and percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa than fertile dogs. Furthermore, infertile dogs had reduced sperm membrane integrity measured via the hypoosmotic swelling test. Infertile dogs had significantly lower basal serum testosterone concentrations (1.40 ± 0.62 ng/mL) than fertile dogs (1.81 ± 0.87 ng/mL; P < 0.05). There were subjective differences in testicular echogenicity in some of the infertile dogs, and important differences in testicular artery blood flow with lower peak systolic and end-diastolic velocities measured in the distal supratesticular artery, marginal testicular artery, and intratesticular artery of infertile dogs (P < 0.05). Notably, resistance index and pulsatility index did not differ between infertile and fertile dogs. These findings report important differences between infertile and fertile dogs which may be detected within an expanded breeding soundness examination

Displasia Occipital Em Cão Poodle

The occipital dysplasia has been characterized by a dorsal enlargement of the foramen magnum which can vary in size and shape. Clinical signs may be present or not in animals with occipital dysplasia. The purpose of this study was to diagnose the occipital dysplasia of a dog, correlating the clinical signs to radiographic findings. It can be concluded that radiographic exam is enough to diagnose occipital dysplasia.A displasia occipital tem sido caracterizada por um alargamento dorsal do forame magno que pode variar em tamanho e forma. Os sinais clínicos podem estar presentes ou não em animais com displasia occipital. O objetivo deste estudo foi diagnosticar a displasia occipital de um cão, correlacionando os sinais clínicos aos achados radiográficos. Pode-se concluir que o exame radiográfico é suficiente para diagnosticar a displasia occipital

Ultrasonographic and Radiographic Diagnosis of Ectopic Ureter in a Dog

Background: Ureteral ectopia (or ectopic ureter) is a congenital anomaly of the urinary system in which the ureter inserts anywhere other than the vesical trigone. This anatomical change may have unilateral or bilateral involvement. The most evident clinical sign, occurring mostly in females, is urinary incontinence, however in some cases the condition may progress to nephritis and dilation of the renal pelvis. The diagnosis is established through imaging, and definitive treatment requires surgical approach. The present study reports a case of ureteral ectopia in a dog which was diagnosed by ultrasound and contrast radiography (excretory urography) and successfully treated by neoureterostomy.Case: A 10-month-old female American Pit Bull Terrier was attended at the Veterinary Hospital of the Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid (UFERSA), in Mossoró, RN. Her owner reported incontinence of dark, malodorous urine since birth as the chief complaint. After clinical examination, cystitis was suspected, and a complete blood count, urinalysis, and abdominal ultrasound was requested. The blood count and creatinine were within the reference values. The presence of struvite crystals were found on urinalysis. Ultrasound examination revealed a tortuous, dilated right ureter from the renal pelvis to the urinary bladder; no uroliths were identified as a cause of potential obstruction, but the ipsilateral kidney showed increased cortical echogenicity, loss of corticomedullary definition, and moderate pelvic dilation. These findings supported a presumptive diagnosis of ectopic ureter. For the purpose of confirming this suspicion, excretory urography was performed, revealing unilateral ureteral dilation and radiopaque contrast uptake following the path of the urethra. Once the diagnosis was confirmed, surgery was performed to correct the ureteral ectopia using the standard neoureterocistostomy technique. Considering the unilateral involvement, location of the insertion, and preserved renal function, the decision was made to perform a neoureterostomy. During the surgery it was possible to identify that the ectopic ureter was found to be intramural. At 2-month follow-up, urinary incontinence had resolved and control ultrasound showed significant improvement in the inflammatory appearance of the right renal parenchyma, with no signs of dilation of the renal pelvis or ureter.Discussion: Different from what happens in male dogs, females with an ectopic ureter will often present with urinary incontinence as the main (and, often, only) symptom, usually in the first months of life. As pollakiuria suggests a wide range of diseases of the urinary tract, ultrasound was considered the first-line imaging modality of choice, indispensable for ruling out other differential diagnoses such as a severe urinary tract infection, urolithiasis, or even malignancy. Despite the literature reporting that urinary incontinence persists in 44 to 67% of cases of ureteral ectopia, even after surgery in this case there was complete recovery of the patient after two months. Accessible techniques like ultrasonography and contrast radiography (excretory urography) supplemented one another in the elucidation of this case, with both demonstrating an excellent contribution to the diagnosis of ectopic ureter as well as served as support for surgical planning, enabling effective repair and consequent recovery of the patient.