Clinical Management of Septic Peritonitis and Aortic Thrombosis Following Hepatic Tumor Embolization in a Dog

This report details the case of an 8-year-old neutered male Shiba Inu who developed septic peritonitis following transarterial embolization of a hepatic tumor. After surgical management of the hepatic abscess and peritonitis, the dog experienced several severe complications, including aortic thrombosis with pelvic limb neurological deficits, acute kidney injury, coagulopathy, and marked hypoalbuminemia. Intensive care included hemodynamic and surgical stabilization, antimicrobial therapy, analgesia, nutritional support, and a combination of antithrombotic and thrombolytic treatments. The clinical course was characterized by progressive stabilization of sepsis and the hepatic lesion, partial restoration of aortic blood flow, neurological improvement, and gradual recovery of renal function. Seven months after discharge, the dog remained clinically stable, with resolution of the hepatic lesion and persistent stability of the aortic thrombus on ultrasonography. This case demonstrates that life-threatening aortic thrombosis and septic complications following hepatic embolization can be successfully managed with timely and multimodal therapy, including thrombolysis.