# Liver Lobe Torsion Following an Enterotomy for an Obstructive Foreign Body in a Puppy

## TL;DR

A young dog developed a rare liver lobe torsion after surgery for a foreign body, highlighting an unusual postoperative complication in juvenile canines.

## Contribution

Reports a rare case of immediate postoperative liver lobe torsion in a juvenile dog following enterotomy.

## Key findings

- Liver lobe torsion occurred in two lobes, which is uncommon in canines.
- The torsion was diagnosed as an immediate postoperative complication in a young dog.
- The cause of torsion remains unknown in this case.

## Abstract

A 6‐month‐old male intact Bernese Mountain Dog presented for lethargy and acute vomiting after known foreign body ingestion. The patient was diagnosed with an obstructive foreign body and underwent an exploratory laparotomy with an enterotomy. Twelve hours postoperative, he was diagnosed with a haemoabdomen. A second exploratory laparotomy was performed, and a left lateral and left medial liver lobe torsion was diagnosed. A left lateral liver lobectomy was performed. The left lateral liver lobe was submitted for histopathology and was consistent with acute torsion. This draws interest to the case as the patient is a juvenile dog and there was involvement of two liver lobes which is rare. The cause of liver lobe torsion is unknown in this case. Liver lobe torsion is rare and has never been reported in a young dog as an immediate postoperative complication.

Liver lobe torsion is rare in canine patients, with more than one lobe affected being even more scarce. Liver lobe torsion of one or more lobes was found as an immediate postoperative complication for an exploratory laparotomy with an enterotomy performed in a juvenile dog.