Abstract:
A 12-year-old spayed Newfoundland bitch was presented with chronic non-productive
vomiting, regurgitation and coughing of six weeks’ duration. On clinical examination, the
dog was depressed with no other significant findings. Haematology and biochemistry
investigations detected no abnormalities. Thoracic and abdominal radiographs revealed a
megaoesophagus and an abnormally positioned pylorus. A thoracic and abdominal
computed tomography scan confirmed the abnormal position of the stomach, together
with moderate aspiration pneumonia. Laparoscopic examination of the peritoneal cavity
revealed the greater omentum wrapped over the stomach, with a fold visualised between
the abnormally positioned pyloric antrum and the gastric corpus. A 180-degree clockwise
gastric rotation was laparoscopically diagnosed and corrected. The normal position of the
stomach was confirmed before a laparoscopic-assisted incisional gastropexy was performed.
Post-operatively the vomiting and regurgitation resolved and the patient was discharged.
Twenty-four hours after discharge, the dog was presented with deteriorating clinical signs
of aspiration pneumonia. The owner declined treatment, additional diagnostics as well as
a necropsy and requested euthanasia. Chronic gastric volvulus should be considered as a
rare differential diagnosis in dogs with non-specific, chronic gastrointestinal signs.
Radiography, computed tomography and laparoscopy are valuable diagnostic aids in
making this diagnosis. Chronic gastric volvulus can be successfully reduced laparoscopically
as reported here for the first time.
