Case Presentation by:  Nicole Bennett, Nancy Gustafson and Christine Staten

Patient Profile: "Honey", a 5-year old, spayed female Chow.

History: "Honey" presented to the emergency service on 7/27/98.   She was weak and depressed.  She had been vomiting for 2 months.  For the past month, the vomit has had a coffee ground appearance.  She has become anorexic and has lost a lot of weight.

Physical Examination:   Heart rate = 148/minute.  Pulse rate = 148/minute.  Respiratory rate = 20 breaths/minute.  Body weight = 29.5 kg. "Honey" was estimated to be 10% dehydrated.  Her mucous membranes were pale and tacky.  The lungs and heart ausculted normally.  She was very painful on cranial abdominal palpation and melena was observed on her hind end.

Laboratory Findings:  Leukophilia (47,300/uL) with predominant neutrophilia (44,000/uL).  Regenerative anemia (5,060,000/uL with 111,320 reticulocytes/uL).  PCV = 29%.  Glucose = 153 mg/dl.  BUN = 40 mg/dl.   AST = 75 IU/L.  Sodium = 124 meq/L.  Potassium = 2.8 meq/L.   Chloride = 65 meq/L.  Bicarbonate = 36.4 meq/L. 

Abdominal Radiographs:

Questions:

• What differential diagnoses should you consider in this case?
• Why is the respiratory rate so low in "Honey"?
• What radiographic findings do you see?
• What initial medical treatments would you institute?
• When should you take this patient to surgery?

Answers and Discussion:

Return to Introduction:

Copyright Wayne E. Wingfield, DVM and Brenda McClelland, DVM, Colorado State University, 2000. All rights reserved.
This page was last edited:  03/01/00