Chronic hypertrophic gastritis in a 7-year-old Boxer dog is described. This gastritis resembles Menetrier's disease in man. The dog was emaciated, lethargic, vomiting and had a poor appetite over a 4-month period. There was anaemia, and the blood smear was characterized by hypochromasia, strong anisoplania and striking poikilocytosis. There was a protein loss and at a later stage of the disease, a hypoalbuminaemia. On gastroscopic examination the plicae gastricae were numerous and strongly marked; moreover, they were granulated with numerous small haemorrhages. Radiographically, the stomach had a marked folding, primarily at the greater curvature. The passage of contrast medium from the stomach into the duodenum was strongly retarded. The pathological findings included macroscopical folding caused by local gland cell hyperplasia in the body as well as the pylorus, foveolar hyperplasia and, in the fundus and in the corpus near the greater curvature, folding of the muscularis mucosae and the submucosa. A superficial gastritis was found particularly in the fundus and corpus, whereas the pyloric antrum showed a more diffuse inflammation.

The purpose of this study is to report our initial experience with the use of spring coils to close the patent ductus arteriosus in the dog. There are few large-patient series reported in the veterinary literature. Coil closure was attempted in 15 dogs (median weight, 6.5 kg; range, 1.2 to 38.7 kg) presenting with a patent ductus arteriosus between May 1997 and May 1999. Arterial catheterization followed by angiography was used to decide if coil placement was adequate. A 5- or 8-mm embolization coil, depending on the angiographic diameter of the ductus, was delivered, with 1 loop in the pulmonary arterial side and the remainder of the coil in the aortic side of the duct. Additional coils were used if a residual shunt was present, and closure was confirmed by aortography. Patients were discharged the day after the procedure. Successful coil closure, without residual shunt on angiography, was achieved in 11 of 13 dogs in which coils were released. In 6 dogs, a coil embolized to the pulmonary artery. Four of these dogs had successful closure with multiple coils, and 2 others had surgery. None of these dogs experienced adverse effects. In 2 dogs with conical patent ductus arteriosus >5 mm in minimal diameter, coil closure was not done. We conclude that the patent ductus arteriosus size and anatomical shape are crucial in deciding whether coil closure is the method of choice. In selected cases, coil closure represents an elegant alternative to surgical ligation. Although pulmonary embolism occurred commonly, it did not cause any obvious clinical problem.

An 18-month-old male Labrador retriever was referred for investigation of chronic intermittent diarrhoea and vomiting of two months duration. A diagnosis of hepatic arteriovenous fistulae was made. These are extremely rare hepatic vascular anomalies which confer arterial pressure to the portal vein. Liver atrophy, portal vein hypoplasia, portal hypertension and multiple acquired portosystemic collateral vessels are the main complications. Surgical excision is a challenge as resection of large lesions may be associated with significant blood loss. In this dog, persistence of portal vein hypoplasia and extensive collateral pathways following surgery led to a reserved prognosis.

The clinical history and diagnosis of a dog with leishmaniasis involving both elbow joints and the skin is described. The dog, a female, five-year-old crossbreed, had been imported from Majorca (Balearic Islands, Spain) four years before the diagnosis was made. For two years, the dog had had bilateral forelimb lameness. Physical examination revealed swollen, painful and crepitating elbow joints. Furthermore, an ulcerating dermatitis was found on the concave surface of the left pinna and necrotising margins on both ears. Radiographs of the elbow joints revealed complete destruction of the joint surfaces with dislocation of the radius and the ulna, compatible with severe osteolytic arthritis. The diagnosis of leishmaniasis was confirmed by a direct agglutination test.