EVALUATION OF LEUKOCYTOSIS, BACTEREMIA, AND PORTAL-VEIN PARTIAL OXYGEN-TENSION IN CLINICALLY NORMAL DOGS AND DOGS WITH PORTOSYSTEMIC SHUNTS

Objective - To assess the relationship of WBC counts and partial oxyge n tension in the portal vein and caudal vena cava with portal bacterem ia, bacteria in the liver, and postoperative morbidity and mortality i n dogs with portosystemic shunts. Design - Prospective study. Animals - 12 clinically normal dogs and 15 dogs with single congenital portosy stemic shunts. Procedure - Blood was collected from the portal vein an d caudal vena cava for aerobic and anaerobic bacterial culture, WBC co unt, and measurement of partial oxygen tension. Samples of liver tissu e, indwelling catheters, and fluids administered IV were also obtained for bacterial culture. Results - Bacteria were cultured from samples obtained from the portal vein and caudal vena cava of 1 dog with a shu nt and from the caudal vena cava of 1 clinically normal dog; neither d og had postoperative complications. In dogs with shunts and in clinica lly normal dogs, partial oxygen tension in the portal Vein was signifi cantly greater than that in the caudal vena cava. Postoperative compli cations were identified in 33% of dogs with shunts. Partial oxygen ten sions of dogs with shunts with postoperative complications did not sig nificantly differ from those of all dogs with shunts or dogs with shun ts without complications. Significant differences in WBC counts were n ot found when comparing dogs with shunts with and without complication s. Anaerobic bacteria were not cultured from the liver of any dog. Cli nical Implications - Leukocytosis, portal bacteremia, and portal hypox emia were not notable findings in dogs with shunts and were not correl ated with postoperative morbidity or mortality.