28 Aug 2025
Mucocele is described as a “silent killer” disease able to lie dormant with few external indications.
Chris Simpson
Job Title
Vets have performed life-saving surgery to remove a dog’s gallbladder after identifying a deadly disease during a free dental check.
Border terrier Eddie’s owner brought him to All Creatures Vets in Warrington for a “summer smiles” dental check after noticing a lump on his gum.
Vet Simon Gillingham confirmed the nine-year-old had dental disease and took blood samples ahead of a planned procedure under anaesthetic.
After the blood tests showed the dog’s liver markers were increased, Mr Gillingham performed a scan of Eddie’s liver, which revealed he was suffering from the potentially fatal disease mucocele.
The disease, which affects the gallbladder, is said to be able to lie dormant with few external signs.
Mr Gillingham performed the “extremely risky and challenging” operation to remove Eddie’s gallbladder several days later at All Creatures’ larger sister practice, Rees Veterinary Centre, alongside fellow vet Kathryn Rogerson and vet nurse Simone McIntyre.
The surgery to completely remove the mucocele took more than three hours.
It was completed without any complications, but further lab tests taken during it revealed Eddie’s gallbladder was severely ulcerated and could have ruptured within days or weeks.
Eddie was said to be back on his feet and allowed to go home within hours of the procedure and he has made a full recovery.
Mr Gillingham said: “When this disease strikes it can quickly rupture or block the gallbladder, causing serious illness and a high risk of death.
“Even emergency surgery carries a high risk to life – both during surgery and within the recovery period.”
He added: “It’s amazing cases such as this which demonstrate the importance of regular pet check-ups.
“A simple free dental check identified this nasty disease and luckily we were able to successfully operate on Eddie just in the nick of time.”
