Spontaneous haemothorax in juvenile dogs: a case series

Objectives: To describe the clinical features, treatment, and outcome of juvenile dogs presenting with spontaneous haemothorax. Methods: Retrospective multi-centre referral-based study. Hospital databases were searched for dogs aged 1–24 months with a diagnosis of spontaneous haemothorax. Dogs were defined as having spontaneous haemothorax provided there was no history of trauma, evidence of a coagulopathy or intrathoracic neoplastic mass. Data extracted for analysis included signalment, history, investigation findings, treatment, and outcome. Results: Seven dogs from two referral centres were identified. Median age was 11 months (range 3.5–20 months); four of the seven were female. There were two Chihuahuas and two Whippets; remaining breeds were represented once. Commonly reported clinical signs included lethargy (n=7) and pyrexia (n=6). Thymic pathology was suspected in six dogs based on thoracic imaging. Three dogs required surgical management and four were managed conservatively. Histopathology of th...