Gastric Ulceration - Dog

See also Pathology in WikiPath

Signalment

• Sled dogs

Description

Is a round or oval punched out lesions ranging from 1-4 cm in diameter caused by damage to the gastric mucosa.

There are many disease associations including:

Causes of gastric ulceration

Disease Type	E.g.
Hypotension	Shock, Sepsis
Drug - induced	Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Idiopathic	Stress, exercise induced
Inflammatory	Gastritis
Neoplastic	Adenocarcinoma, lymphosarcoma, leiomyoma
Metabolic/endocrine	Hypoadrenocorticism, liver disease, uraemia, disseminated intravascular coagulation, mastocytosis and hypergastrinaemia

Gastric ulceration is caused by damage to the gastric mucosa through the above mechanisms. NSAIDs directly damage the mucosa and interfere with the prostaglandin synthesis. Gastric ulceration is worsened by the use of NSAIDs in combination with corticosteroids. This risk can be minimised by using cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) sparing NSAIDs (carprofen, meloxicam and deracoxib.

Gastric acid hypersecretion following mast cell degranulation of histamine and gastrin secretion from gastrinomas is a major cause of gastric ulceration. Sled dogs and equine race horses are prone to gastric ulceration.

Diagnosis

History and Clinical Signs

History may involve:

• Access to toxins and drugs such as NSAIDs

Clinical Signs:

• Vomiting
• Haematemesis
• Malaena
• Pale mucous membranes
• Abdominal pain
• Weakness
• Inappetance
• Hypersalivation
• Circulatory comprimise

Prognosis

Depends upon the cause