Near‐infrared fluorescence imaging with indocyanine green to identify parathyroid glands in two dogs undergoing bilateral modified intracapsular thyroidectomy

This case report describes one dog that underwent bilateral thyroidectomy and another that underwent unilateral thyroidectomy using near‐infrared fluorescence imaging with indocyanine green to visualise the external parathyroid glands to aid in their preservation. The dogs were normocalcaemic in the immediate postoperative period; however, both developed subclinical hypocalcaemia 4 days after discharge. One dog remains on long‐term oral calcium supplementation at the time of writing this report. Both dogs experienced short hospitalisation times and had no major complications after discharge from the hospital. Near‐infrared fluorescence imaging with indocyanine green may be useful to facilitate the preservation of at least one parathyroid gland in dogs undergoing bilateral thyroidectomy.