Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Postanesthetic neurologic signs progressing to seizures in 2 dogs and 1 cat with unoperated congenital portosystemic shunts after non-shunt-related surgery.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 2025
- Authors:
- Mullins, Ronan A et al.
- Affiliation:
- School of Veterinary Medicine
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
In this study, researchers looked at two dogs and one cat that developed serious neurological problems, including seizures, after having surgery that was not related to their congenital portosystemic shunts (CPSSs), which are abnormal blood vessels in the liver. The dogs, both Bichon Frises aged 5 and 10, had surgery to remove their gallbladders, while the cat, a 2-year-old Ragdoll, had part of its intestine removed. Although none of the animals had a history of seizures before the surgery, they all showed severe neurological signs within 48 hours afterward. Unfortunately, both dogs had to be euthanized due to their worsening conditions, while the cat was able to leave the hospital and underwent two additional surgeries to address its CPSS. This situation highlights the risk of neurological issues in pets with CPSSs after anesthesia, even if their shunts are not directly involved in the surgery.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the development of neurologic signs progressing to seizures in 2 dogs and 1 cat with unoperated single congenital portosystemic shunts (CPSSs) after general anesthesia for non-shunt-related surgery and no intraoperative shunt manipulation. ANIMALS: 2 dogs (dog 1 [a 5-year-old 7.1-kg castrated male Bichon Frise] and dog 2 [a 10-year-old 7.3-kg castrated male Bichon Frise]) and 1 cat (cat 1 [a 2-year-old 3.8-kg castrated male Ragdoll]). CLINICAL PRESENTATION: Medical records from the University College Dublin Veterinary Hospital and Royal Veterinary College Queen Mother Animal Hospital were searched for dogs and cats with unoperated CPSSs that developed neurologic signs progressing to seizures after general anesthesia for non-shunt-related surgery between January 1, 2015, and June 31, 2024. RESULTS: 3 animals were identified. Dogs 1 and 2 both underwent cholecystectomy, whereas cat 1 underwent jejunal enterectomy. None had known preoperative seizures, although both dogs had experienced prolonged anesthetic recovery after previous surgery and the cat had a 3-day history of ataxia, walking into walls, and generalized weakness. All 3 animals developed severe neurologic signs including seizures within 48 hours postoperatively. Both dogs were euthanized before hospital discharge: dog 1 for suspected aspiration pneumonia coupled with severe neurologic signs and dog 2 for refractory neurologic signs. Cat 1 survived to hospital discharge and underwent 2 subsequent CPSS attenuation surgeries. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Postanesthetic neurologic signs can occur in animals with CPSSs without intraoperative shunt manipulation. This possible complication should be discussed with owners of animals with unoperated CPSSs that require general anesthesia for non-shunt-related surgery.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39908662/