Gallbladder mucocoele (GBM) is an abnormal, intraluminal accumulation of inspissated bile and/or mucous within the gallbladder. Older, small- to medium-breed dogs seem to be predisposed, but no sex predilection has been identified. Clinical signs are often non-specific and include vomiting, lethargy, anorexia, abdominal pain, icterus and polyuria–polydipsia. Results of a complete blood count may be unremarkable, but serum biochemistry usually reveals increased liver enzymes. The ultrasonographic appearance is diagnostic and well described in the literature. Surgical intervention for the treatment of GBM remains the therapeutic gold standard, with short- and long-term survival for biliary surgery being 66%. The worst outcome is seen in those dogs requiring cholecystoenterostomy. With GBM becoming an apparently increasingly common cause of extrahepatic biliary disease in canines, it is essential that clinicians become familiar with the current literature pertaining to this condition. Numerous predisposing factors are highlighted in this review article and the role of certain endocrinopathies (e.g. hyperadrenocorticism and hypothyroidism) in the development of GBM is touched upon. Furthermore, the aetiopathogenesis of this disease is discussed with reference to the latest literature. Cholecystectomy remains the treatment of choice, but other options are considered based on a current literature review.

OTAU staff members for undertaking the feeding, management and housing of the experimental animals.OTAU advisory committee for allowing the participation of the OTAU Beagles in our research project.Final year veterinary students for their assistance in collecting the experimental animals for each data collection and managing the animals on the day of data collection. Special thanks goes out to:Sr Tamarin Fischer for her assistance in housing the animals in the SAS wards.Sr Jana Stander for her assistance in the theatre complex and making instrumentation available to enable data collection.The Faculty of Veterinary Science, Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies for their financial contributions to make the study a reality.

Physeal fractures of the distal femur are among the most commonly encountered fractures in skeletally immature dogs. These fractures respond poorly to conservative management and thus early surgical reduction and stabilisation are recommended. A 7-month-old intact male Border collie presented with a history of chronic lameness. Clinical examination revealed a predominantly non-weight-bearing lameness of the right hindlimb and concurrent muscle atrophy. A pronounced, but atypical, procurvatum deformity of the right distal femur was diagnosed on survey radiographs. Malunion of a Salter–Harris Type III physeal fracture was suspected as there was an associated history of trauma. A cranially based closing wedge ostectomy was performed to address the femoral deformity and subsequently stabilised using a supracondylar bone plate. The dog recovered well and was moderately weight-bearing lame on the right hindlimb 6 weeks post-operatively. Ten months following the operation the range of motion had improved in the right stifle and no signs of lameness were evident at a walk. We advocate surgical correction of sagittal plane deformities of the distal femur using the CORA method. Overall, a good functional outcome was achieved, which is consistent with previously reported cases with similar deformities.

Case history: A 1-year-old German Shepherd dog presented for delayed onset of a traumatic, dorsal diaphragmatic hernia of the pars lumborum. Clinical findings and treatment:Herniorrhaphy via a ventral midline celiotomy (with and without a paracostal extension) were unsuccessful and the hernia recurred. The hernia was successfully repaired using a single lateral paracostal surgical approach. This approach provided excellent exposure and should be considered for dorsal pars lumborum diaphragmatic hernia repairs.Diagnosis: Dorsal diaphragmatic hernia of the pars lumborum.Clinical relevance: Whilst uncommon, tears to the dorsal aspect of the diaphragm should be considered as well as the more common radial or circumferential pars costalis tears. Pre-operative computed tomographic imaging can identify the exact location of the hernia in order to allow the best surgical approach to be determined. A lateral paracostal approach should be considered as an alternative to a ventral midline celiotomy with or without paracostal extension, for repair of dorsal diaphragmatic hernias affecting the pars lumborum, as it provides excellent exposure. A single lateral paracostal approach has not been reported previously for diaphragmatic hernia repair.

Mesenchymal chondrosarcomas are rare malignant tumours composed of bone and soft tissue. Extraskeletal mesenchymal chondrosarcomas (EMCS) that form in the absence of bone are still rare, accounting for only 1% of chondrosarcomas in dogs. The handful of cases reported have varied survival rates, making it difficult to predict survival accurately. We report on a case of an 11-year-old Schnauzer cross with a high-grade (III) EMCS on the right flank. No metastases were detected at presentation, and complete surgical resection was performed with no adjunct therapy. Despite previous reports implying a poor prognosis, this patient showed no signs of either local recurrence or metastases, 17 months post-surgical resection, suggesting that despite features of high histologic grade, complete surgical excision may lead to a longer disease-free interval.