Sixteen Months Survival with Complete Biliary Obstruction in a Dog

Abstract

The longest survival that we have been able to find in jaundiced dogs is that reported by Still, 1 205 days. For that reason the findings in one of our animals who lived over twice that long in apparent good health is of interest.

Dog No. 454 was operated April 7, 1930, cholecystectomy and common duct divided between ligatures. The early course was normal, deep jaundice ensued and marked emaciation occurred. After several months the jaundice disappeared entirely and the dog's appetite returned, and he became sleek and glossy in appearance, ate ravenously and more than regained the weight loss. He was then put on a meat diet for 3 months, hoping to produce ascites as reported by Rowntree, 2 but as this did not occur he was left on the ordinary mixed diet. His stools remained entirely free from bile and extensive metabolic study was planned but had not been made except to determine that his urine was free from albumin and biliary constituents when he died very suddenly from a profuse hemorrhage from the bowel.

Autopsy showed the following significant changes: The subcutaneous, abdominal and perirenal fat were unusually large in amount and the fat was of a very light color and unusually firm in consistency. There was no connection between the biliary tract and the bowel. The common duct and the distal branches of the hepatic ducts were enormously dilated, containing a clear yellow fluid which gave negative reactions for both bile salts and cholesterol. Several small calcium-pigment stones were present in the ducts. The liver was astonishingly small, weighing but 325 gm. It was almost pure white in color with light brown streaks outlining the lobules.