Soft Tissue

Anal glands are sac-like structures found within the layers of the anal sphincter at the 4 o’clock and 8 o’clock positions. They can get blocked or inflamed and cause irritation. Sometimes they can get infected and abscessate, breaking out through a fistula to the skin. Many cases of blocked anal glands can be managed by expressing the contents periodically by hand!

Jake, a very amenable 1-year-old male cat, had a polyp in his right ear canal. This emanated from his middle ear but completely blocked his external ear canal.

Daisy presented to us at West Midlands Veterinary Referrals with intermittent choking and coughing. Examination of the pharynx revealed a huge polyp which was debulked. The haemorrhage was controlled with pressure, and the histopathology will confirm the diagnosis! Regrowth is possible, even probable, but repeat surgery should be very feasible.

Gypsy had a mass in the larynx's dorsal (top) part, which is the opening to the trachea (windpipe) that delivers air to the lungs.

Koda, a Northern Inuit male dog, decided to try eating a fishing hook – it didn’t get far- just part way down the oesophagus.

A three-year-old Doberman presented to us at West Midlands Veterinary Referrals with a large hygroma, fluid filled sac over the lateral elbow.

Panda was in heart failure secondary to fluid accumulation within the sac around the heart. The squeeze of this fluid on the heart prevented the heart from filling properly and from pumping blood efficiently. This had led to the accumulation of fluid elsewhere in the body, including within the abdomen.

Nibble had a rannula, a collection of saliva under mucosa, that formed after a rostral mandibulectomy to remove the front of the jaw. The rannula was marsupialised, opening it into the mouth cavity so that it could drain.

Georgie had a lateral wall resection (LWR) for recurrent otitis externa, external ear infection. The aim of this surgery is to increase the ventilation to the depths of the ear canal and make the environment less atrtractive to the bacterial pathogens that can otherwise colonise it.

Gizmo had a penile obstruction caused by urethral calculi (mineral deposits). These were a little trickier than usual to spot as they were radiolucent meaning they don’t show up on radiographs unless contrast agent is used to highlight them.