Persistent ductus arteriosus ligation in a two-months-old cocker spaniel: A case report

Abstract

This article reports the case of a two-months-old female cocker spaniel, who was taken to the Clinic for Small Animals at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, with a cough of six days of evolution, poor weight gain, and a history of heart murmur detected previously in a veterinary center. A medical examination evidenced crackles in both lung fields, increased cough reflex, positive jugular pulse, a 6/6 heart murmur, and increased capillary refill time. Persistent ductus arteriosus was diagnosed by echocardiography for this reason, ductus ligation was suggested as definitive treatment. The patient satisfactorily recovered from the surgical procedure without any complications she presented postoperative cough that resolved within a few days with the help of a treatment with furosemide (2 mg/kg IM TID). Three months after the surgical procedure, the patient was clinically healthy, without any symptom of cardiac origin.