2020 Volume 51 Issue 3+4 Pages 41-45
A male 12-year-old miniature dachshund with sudden onset of vomiting and anorexia presented to the veterinary teaching hospital of Yamaguchi University. Blood laboratory examination revealed increased levels of liver enzymes and inflammatory markers. Computed tomography and ultrasonography of the abdominal cavity revealed gas and/or stones in the dog’s gallbladder. Gas was also suspected within the abdominal space, suggesting gall bladder rupture and subsequent peritonitis. Exploratory laparotomy was scheduled 5 days after the first admission, during which we removed the highly-inflamed gallbladder, which was tightly adhered to the surrounding hepatic lobes. The resected gallbladder was macroscopically dissociated into two layers, internal and external. Histopathological examination of the surgical specimen revealed purulent inflammation in the gallbladder wall with severe necrosis, and Enterococcus spp. were isolated from the gallbladder contents. Because Enterococcus spp. have been reported to induce a similar gallbladder condition in human medicine, the diagnosis in our patient was considered to be emphysematous cholecystitis induced by bacterial infection leading to a damage to the gallbladder. The dog recovered uneventfully after surgery.
