An apparently healthy female crossbred Labrador retriever-poodle dog with severe intra-abdominal adhesions as an incidental finding to ovariohysterectomy.

An apparently healthy 1-year-old, female crossbred Labrador retriever-poodle dog was brought to a veterinary clinic for elective ovariohysterectomy (OVH). Severe abdominal adhesions complicated the procedure. There was no report of a previous illness or surgical procedure that would be a predisposing cause for the adhesions. The OVH was completed despite the adhesions and the dog recovered well. It is unclear whether this was simply a case of severe intra-abdominal adhesions or an atypical sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis (SEP). The differential diagnoses include inflammatory processes, a genetic predisposition, or an idiopathic cause. Fourteen days later, at the time of surgical staple removal, the dog was healthy and had reportedly been doing very well. Although rare, intra-abdominal adhesions can occur in young and previously healthy dogs without causing clinical signs. Veterinarians should be aware of such a condition when approaching abdominal surgeries and be prepared to manage these cases appropriately. Copyright and/or publishing rights held by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.