CANINE MEDICINE
mucocoeles were successfully managed with medical therapy.1 One dog was treated with SAMe, omega-3 fatty acids, famotidine, ursodiol, and levothyroxine. The second dog received ursodiol, fenbendazole,
and levothyroxine and was fed a hypo-allergenic diet.
Levothyroxine was used to treat hypothyroidism, and
fenbendazole was used for prophylactic gastrointestinal parasite therapy. These patients showed complete
ultrasonographic resolution of the mucocele after
two and three months.1
Surgical intervention should be recommended in all
dogs that fail to improve with medical therapy, including those with unresolved clinical signs, worsening
laboratory findings, and progressing ultrasonographic
abnormalities.
Summary
Gallbladder mucocoeles are being diagnosed with increasing frequency in dogs, but their true incidence
remains uncertain. The underlying cause of this condition is still controversial, but there is a strong association with mucous gland hyperplasia within the gallbladder epithelium. While surgical management has
been the historic treatment of choice, recent casebased evidence suggests that some patients may respond to medical management.
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