Clinico-pathological alterations in geriatric dogs

Abstract

The present study was conducted to evaluate the gross and microscopic changes in the tissues of dogs dying due to geriatric conditions. During the study period, 15 old dogs were taken into consideration as geriatric dogs during clinical presentation and died at different times. History and clinical findings along with haemato-biochemical alterations were studied in all the 15 cases. Systemic postmortem examination of 7 geriatric dogs was conducted and detailed gross lesion in different organ were recorded. Anemia, anemia associated with dirofilariasis, jaundice, hepatitis, nephritis and chronic enteritis were major cause of death during old age. Important gross changes included pale skeletal muscle, enlarged spleen, cardiac dilatation, necrotic liver, nephritic kidney, thickened intestinal wall etc. Significant histopathological findings related to old age were evidenced like glomerular sclerosis, glomerular atrophy in kidney, bile duct hyperplasia and centrilobular necrosis in liver, depletion of the splenic pulp and thickened epidermis of skin at flank region.