[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: Need help with a medical issue!
- From: "Susan Madlung" <stormygsd@xxxxxxx>
- To: <blackoakdogs@xxxxxxx>, <Showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:18:26 -0700
What is the cause of Chylethorax? How is it treated? What ...
Sent to Dog Experts July 27 11:34 AM
What is the cause of Chylethorax? How is it treated? What is the prognosis?
Is it a genetic condition? How often does it occur in an 18 month old dog?
If trauma can cause condition,what kind of trauma?
Edited by Customer (name blocked for privacy) on July 27 2006 at 11:40 AM
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Status: Closed Value: $9
Answer
July 27 3:13 PM (3 hours and 38 minutes and 46 seconds later)
ACCEPTED
Chylothorax refers to the leakage of lymphatic fluid (chyle) into the chest
cavity, surrounding the lungs. The build- up of fluid interferes with the
ability of the lungs to inflate properly, leading to respiratory difficulty
and often, respiratory arrest. The presence of the fluid can also cause
scarring of the lungs and chest wall, as well as the formation of adhesions
(the lungs stick to the chest wall).
Any animal can be affected, at any age, and there does seem to be some sort
of inherited component to the disease as some of the Oriental breeds of
cats, as well as Shiba Inus and Afghan Hounds tend to be over-represented.
Shibas can develop the condition at an early age (less than 2 years), but
the majority of dogs are affected at middle age or later.
There are many causes for the condition, however the most common cause is
called idiopathic- which is a fancy way of saying the cause is unknown.
- Trauma, as you mentioned- not very common but can happen. Usually
something catastrophic like being hit by a car or falling from a great
height, can result in rupture of the thoracic duct (the tube that carries
lymphatic fluid from the head and neck back to the great vessels around the
heart).
- Heart disease- of many types, both acquired and congenital, including
heartworm disease, valvular dysfunction and anatomic abnormalities
- Cancer- any type that affects the heart, vessels, or structures nearby the
thoracic duct
-High blood pressure- a vast array of diseases can lead to this
-Lymphangiectasia- the lymphatic system becomes obstructed causing back-up
of lymph fluid and subsequent leakage secondary to increased pressure in the
lymphatic ducts.
-Infection
An ultrasound of the chest cavity is crucial in helping to determine the
cause of the chylothorax. It can rule out things like anatomical
abnormalities, heart disease, heartworm disease, and can detect the presence
of masses. Analysis of the fluid obtained from a chest tap may also point to
things like cancer or infection.
Treatment varies depending upon cause, if one can be determined. In severe
cases of respiratory difficulty a chest tube may be needed to constantly
draw off fluid. These animals would benefit greatly from surgery to ligate
(tie off) the thoracic duct to stop the leakage. This is a delicate
procedure and should only be performed by a skilled, board certified
veterinary surgeon. Patients with milder forms of disease may do ok with
period chest taps to drain fluid, low fat diets (to decrease production of
chyle), and restricted activity. Many idiopathic forms of the disease
resolve on their own, but it can take up to several months.
http://dog.justanswer.com/questions/awlg-cause-chylethorax-treated
http://www.vet.uga.edu/vpp/clerk/Rockwell/index.php
Sue (not Stormy) Madlung
Shadowacre German Shepherds
www.shadowacre.com
----- Original Message -----
From: <blackoakdogs@xxxxxxx>
To: <Showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 9:38 PM
Subject: [ SHOWGSD-L ] Need help with a medical issue!
> Hi all, I'm hoping someone else has heard of this or gone through it. My
> aunt has a 2 1/2yr old male shepherd who was perfectly healthy up until
> about 6-8 weeks ago when he started not eating and gradually losing
> weight. She didn't think too much of it as he has a history of doing this
> ocasionally. However he continued to get worse and and she finally brought
> him to the vet this monday. After many xrays and blood tests and doing a
> lung needle drainage and getting almost 3 cups of fluid out of his lungs,
> the vet announced that he probably had spleen cancer but would do an
> ultrasound on him today.
>
> Results of the ultrasound actually revealed a ruptured thoracic duct. He
> is scheduled to be seen by a surgeon tomorrow who is board certified to do
> this type of surgery as it is very close to being like open heart surgery.
> They have already warned my aunt that the surgery will be 5K to 15K! And
> he has only a 50-50 chance of surviving the surgery and even less chance
> of having quality of life or having the same thing happen again at a later
> date. Needless to say, she does not have this kind of money, especially
> when the outcome is so doubtful.
>
> So my question is this. Have any of the listers out there ever had a dog
> suffer this kind of injury, and what was the outcome? My aunt is
> distraught about thinking that this may come down to money. Has anyone had
> a dog survive this? How much was the surgery etc?
>
> The vet says this sort of injury is often seen in a hit by car type
> trauma, but this dog was not involved in any incident. The only thing that
> may have happened was that she was playng ball with him at the local
> baseball park and he chased the ball and crashed into the backstop but
> didn't even slow down. I can't imagine that was the cause of this freak
> thing. This dog is in the prime of life and has been perfectly healthy
> until now. We are told he will not live more than a week without the
> surgery.
>
> Margaret
> Corsair GSD
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POST is Copyrighted 2007. All material remains the property of the original
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Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ALL PERSONS ARE ON NOTICE THAT THE FORWARDING, REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY
MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS
PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY
FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE
PROSECUTED.
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