If you have a dog, it is essential to know the condition your pet might be suffering from, particularly arteriovenous fistula.
Dogtime.com describes this condition in dog's fistula that impacts the flow of blood between veins and arteries.
In addition, it can cause the heart of the dog to work harder, which can then lead to an occurrence of congestive heart failure.
The condition can take place in various parts of the body of a dog and is frequently resulting from a trauma or an accident.
Symptoms to Watch Out For
According to DogTrainingWorld, the symptoms linked to an arteriovenous fistula will eventually rely on the location and size of the fistula. Usually, there is a warm, non-painful lesion at the area of the fistula.
If such a lesion on the limb, the dog may show certain symptoms like swelling where one can touch the limb, and a fingertip impression is left in the skin, known as pitting edema.
This kind of swelling may comprise lameness, scabbing gangrene, or tissue that dies and turns green and ulceration. There are also signs of congestive heart failure, frequently linked to this fistula type are coughs, dyspnea or difficulty of breathing, and exercise intolerance.
Meanwhile, if the arteriovenous fistula is causing organ failure, the dog may exhibit seizures involving the brain and distention of the abdomen which involves the liver, and weakness or paralysis, involving the spinal cord.
When it comes to causes, dogs are seldom born with arteriovenous fistulas. Usually, they obtain the fistula because of a traumatic impairment to blood vessels, complications, surgery, tumor, or problems that arise from injection or drawing blood around the blood vessels.
Diagnosing Arteriovenous Fistula
If your dog shows any of the indications mentioned above, you will have to provide your veterinarian a thorough history of the health of your dog, which includes the symptoms' onset and nature.
The veterinarian will then conduct a complete physical examination and a biochemistry profile, complete blood count, and urinalysis, among others, to help determine complications linked to an arteriovenous fistula.
Since these particular arteriovenous fistulae substantially impact the blood flow of the dog, thoracic X-rays may exhibit enlargement of the heart, as well as gins of over-circulation to the lungs.
Additionally, according to a PetMD report, a Doppler ultrasound may present high-velocity, turbulent flow within the lesion.
To identify the site of the arteriovenous fistula, the veterinarian may use an echocardiogram on the dog. For the outlining of the lesion, which may be essential for definitive diagnosis, and is extremely desirable for pre-surgical assessment, the veterinarian may employ selective angiography.
Treatment
Dogs that have clinical signs need to go through surgery to divide and eliminate abnormal links between blood vessels.
Nevertheless, surgery can be challenging and labor-intensive and may need blood transfusions. While frequently successful, the arteriovenous fistula may return even if surgery had been done. Some dogs may even need amputation of the appendage affected by the disease.
Lastly, transcatheter embolization, as described on the Stanford Medicine site, is a newer treatment option that involves the use of a catheter to block blood vessels. This approach is specifically beneficial as it is comparatively noninvasive and it offers access to remote lesions through the blood vessels.
Related information about arteriovenous fistula in dogs is shown on Arsh Singh's YouTube video below:
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