Two serious conditions, one sudden loss: mesenteric volvulus and dirofilaria immitis in a dog.

Abstract

Sudden death has been thoroughly well defined and investigated in human medicine and its definition is not as rigorously established in veterinary medicine. In this case a 7-year-old German Shepherd was brought to the Small Animals Clinic of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Belgrade in very poor state. Despite treatment, the dog died 15 min after being admitted to the clinic. Since poisoning was suspected, the owners requested an autopsy. The dog was taken to the Department of Forensic Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade for necropsy. Pathomorphological examinations revealed rupture of the mesentery with mesenteric volvulus. In addition, a large number of adult forms of Dirofilaria immitis were found in the right atrium, ventricle and in truncus pulmonalis. Further examinations of the respiratory system revealed clusters with partially degraded adult parasites in the lobes. The dog died due to mesenteric volvulus which was a rare finding, with an even rarer finding that was lung nodules with adult D. immitis parasites.