Small Animal Soft Tissue Surgery Q&A 18

A right lateral radiograph of the cranial abdomen of a ten-year-old, female Schnauzer is shown.

Question	Answer		Article
What is the diagnosis?	Cholelithiasis		Link to Article
This disease is often insidious and asymptomatic in dogs. List the most common clinical signs in dogs that are symptomatic.	Vomiting, anorexia, weakness, polyuria/polydypsia, weight loss, icterus, fever and signs of abdominal pain are the most common clinical signs in dogs with symptomatic cholelithiasis.		Link to Article
The pathogenesis of this disease in dogs is unknown. Several causes have been proposed. Name the most likely ones.	Proposed causes include trauma, biliary stasis, diet alterations, cholecystitis, and parasitic and bacterial biliary infection.		Link to Article
Describe the surgical therapeutic options, and give the therapy of choice.	The treatment for cholelithiasis is cholelithotomy via cholecystotomy, cholecystectomy or choledochotomy. Cholecystectomy is indicated in dogs with cholelithiasis and concurrent cholecystitis and should be regarded as therapy of choice.		Link to Article