CASE OF THE MONTH - NOVEMBER 2012

Louis' gall bladder blockage

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Louis is a well known and loved dog amongst the veterinary team at St Francis. He is a diabetic patient and had been managed on twice daily insulin for years when suddenly he started vomiting and presented to the clinic jaundiced (yellow colouring to the mucus membranes). Dr Pam Browell admitted Louis for an abdominal ultrasound and diagnosed a blockage in his bile duct - thus preventing the passage of bile away from his liver (where bile is made) and gall bladder (where bile is stored) to the intestines (where bile is used for fat digestion). Left untreated this condition is quickly fatal; however, both Louis' weak and diabetic status made him a high risk for anaesthesia to correct the problem. Dr Pam Browell managed his anaesthesia, and Dr Lucy James and Dr Graham Futter performed surgery to re-route the passage of bile from the gall bladder directly to the intestines. Within 24 hours Louis was already showing signs of recovery. Almost 1 year later, we are happy to report that Louis is still going strong and his diabetes is stable.