Case 2
A 5-year-old, 33-kg, female golden retriever was referred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital for exercise intolerance, dyschezia, tenesmus, and hematochezia. A colorectal surgery was performed 6 days earlier using a transanal pull-through procedure for colorectal carcinoma. A physical examination showed evidence of severe abdominal pain, mucosal pallor, tachycardia (150 beats/min), and a rectal temperature of 39.7 °C. Dehiscence of a previous colon surgery with anastomosis was suspected. Digital intraluminal rectal palpation confirmed the presence of a partial ventral dehiscence of the colorectal anastomosis localized approximately 1 cm from the anus. Blood tests were normal. An abdominal radiographic study in two orthogonal views and abdominal ultrasonography findings were compatible with moderate peritoneal effusion. After abdominocentesis, a cytological evaluation of the fluid showed degenerate neutrophils and intracellular cocci.
The dog was hospitalized for surgical revision. During the hospitalization, the dog received maintenance fluid therapy with lactated Ringer’s solution (4 mL/kg/h), methadone (0.2 mg/kg, every 4 hours, administered according to the Glasgow pain scale), and metronidazole-spiramycin (10 mg/kg, every 12 hours, administered orally).