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This case report describes the ultrasonographic diagnosis of gastroesophageal intussusception in a male 7 week old German Shepherd Dog. The patient had no history prior to being purchased from a breeder 24 hours before presentation. The owners noted persistent intermittent vomiting since that time and a single roundworm was identified once in a vomitus. A gastroesophageal intussusception was diagnosed via thoracic radiographs and trans-abdominal ultrasound. The spleen was noted to be within the distal esophagus in concert with the stomach. Reduction of the intussusception was performed via laparotomy with bilateral gastropexy. The patient recovered uneventfully from surgery and is alive 4 months after discharge. This case highlights the potential advantages of ultrasound in the diagnosis of gastroesophageal intussusceptions. A review of the current literature is presented with discussions of possible etiologies of this rare form of intestinal intussusception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 6 year-old female intact captive raccoon (Procyon lotor) was presented for a routine annual health evaluation. On physical examination, the raccoon was obese and bilateral ventral cervical masses were palpated. Complete blood count was within normal limits. Serum biochemistry profile revealed an increased alkaline phosphatase activity, increased phosphorus and decreased chloride concentrations. Two-view whole body radiographs were performed and revealed a ventral cervical well-circumscribed soft tissue opacity extending to both sides of the midline, splenomegaly, and a pulmonary nodule. Abdominal ultrasound was performed and was unremarkable. Ultrasonographic examination of the cervical region revealed bilateral cervical soft tissue masses in the area of the thyroid glands. Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspirates of the mass were suggestive of an epithelial neoplasm most likely of thyroid gland origin. When compared to canine references, the total thyroxine values (tT4) and triiodothyronine (T3) values were increased on a thyroid panel performed at Michigan State University. In house tT4 values were also increased, though more significantly than those on outside testing. Given the lack of clinical symptoms related to the pathology, the potential risks of a surgical thyroid procedure and the suspicion of pulmonary metastasis, further diagnostics and treatment were declined. To date, 19 months from the time of the initial presentation, the raccoon is doing clinically well with no obvious clinical signs other than the palpable prominent cervical masses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypaxial muscle abscess is an important differential in dogs presenting for abdominal or back pain, lameness, and nonspecific signs like fever, lethargy, and hyporexia. It can occur concurrently with intrathoracic disease such as pyothorax secondary to migrating vegetal foreign material. Twelve dogs that underwent CT of the lumbar spine or abdomen and had a diagnosed hypaxial abscess on surgical and/or microbiological examination were included in this retrospective, descriptive case series. Computed tomography findings and findings from other imaging modalities employed were described. Eleven dogs were hunting breeds. Clinical signs included lethargy, fever, increased respiratory effort, and abdominal or back pain. Radiography and/or ultrasonography were employed during preliminary work up at clinician discretion and respectively revealed changes consistent with osteomyelitis in the cranial lumbar vertebrae and heterogenous, hypoechoic areas in the hypaxial musculature consistent with abscesses. Computed tomography findings included enlargement of hypaxial muscles with well-defined fluid attenuating noncontrast enhancing areas with a contrast-enhancing rim consistent with abscesses, periosteal reaction and lysis of vertebrae, and retroperitoneal effusion. Four of the 12 cases in this series had material identified and removed at surgery. The other eight cases were presumed to be the same disease process based on compatible signalment, imaging findings, and microbiological results. Migrating vegetal foreign bodies are a common problem at the authors' institution. Computed tomography provided expedient, thorough visualization of the relevant hypaxial lesions for diagnostic and surgical planning purposes and also characterized intrathoracic components of this disease., (© 2022 American College of Veterinary Radiology.)