Gall Bladder Disease

Gall bladder disease in dogs and cats is a newly recognized and poorly understood condition. While some breeds are at an increased risk (Schnauzers and Shelties), any breed of dog or cat can be affected. Similar to gall bladder problems in humans, the signs of illness are often vague early in the course of gall bladder disease. Pets may become picky with food, seem painful in the belly after a meal, or simply seem more quiet than usual. Most pets with an unhealthy gall bladder will seem completely normal until the gall bladder disease is advanced and the pet is at risk for a sudden and life-threatening crisis.

Although gall stones in pets are rare, the gall bladder can become blocked with excessive mucus combined with bile salt “sludge”. Once the flow of bile is blocked, the gall bladder becomes more and more distended. The wall becomes thinned and bacteria can more easily grow in the gall bladder leading to a serious infection. The mucus contents of a blocked up gall bladder is referred to as a mucocele (pronounced Mu-ko-seal). A gall bladder filled with a mucocele is at high risk for rupture. Once a gall bladder ruptures, a pet will experience severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and shock. Without immediate surgery all pets with ruptured gall bladders will die. Even with prompt surgery and intensive care, 30-50% of patients will not survive.

I have personally had two dogs that developed this condition. In each case the pet went from normal one day to extremely ill, shocky, and literally dying in front of me the next day. I have a strong desire to prevent the suffering my pets and I endured by screening all pets at risk for gall bladder disease. Often blood work will provide some hints the gall bladder is unhealthy. Many pets with gall bladder disease will have high cholesterol levels, low thyroid levels and elevated “liver enzymes”. Many other diseases can cause these blood work changes but few are as life-threatening as mucoceles.

Fortunately gall bladder disease can be screened for using non-invasive ultrasound imaging. Pets need only lie on their backs on a special cushion while a gel-coated probe is placed on their clipped bellies. This is a completely painless process and many pets actually enjoy the “ belly rub”. The gall bladder is usually examined within a matter of several minutes. We can also scan for abnormalities in other organs (liver, spleen, kidneys, bladder) as desired by the pet owner and recommended by the veterinarian.

My hope is to find subtle changes in gall bladders before a full-blown mucocele is formed. If detected early, we have an opportunity to intervene with medication (inexpensive and easily administered orally). If a true mucocele is found then medical treatment can still be attempted or surgery planned for either prior to gall bladder rupture or at the earliest signs of pet illness (nausea, pain).

At the Animal Hospital of Lynnfield, we like to be proactive in the care of pets. Detecting mucoceles can only be done with advanced imaging such as ultrasound. Radiographs (X-rays) do not show gall bladder disease with great accuracy. Clients of the Animal Hospital of Lynnfield have access to our ultrasound diagnostics. I hope that by screening more at risk pets, I can spare animals the suffering a ruptured gall bladder brings. I also hope to learn more regarding the effectiveness of timely medical treatment for small or early stage mucoceles. If your pet has even a small chance of having a mucocele, let us do an ultrasound study. A quick and painless “belly scan” could save your pet’s life.

In summary. . . .

1. Your pet needs blood work for proper screening.
2. Schedual a gall bladder scan with us.
3. Follow the recommendations made by the veterinarian based on the findings.
4. Rest assured, your pet’s wellness is of paramount importance to us and we will work together with you towards this goal.