23 Jul 2021
Eleven-year-old Sparky had a “football-sized” growth of fat surgically removed from his abdomen after it had begun to displace some of his internal organs.
Joshua Silverwood
Job Title
The growth of fat removed from Sparky’s abdomen.
A Labrador retriever has had a 5kg growth removed from his abdomen after his owners brought him into a London specialists when his stomach began swelling.
Eleven-year-old Sparky had a “football-sized” growth of fat surgically removed from his abdomen after it had begun to displace some of his internal organs.
The swollen dog was referred to London Vet Specialists (LVS) in Belsize Park as his owners became increasingly concerned about his sudden loss of appetite and weight.
Imaging specialist Ian Jones performed a CT scan that revealed a benign growth of fat that had grown to weigh as much as 5kg.
Dr Jones said: “We were shocked to find a giant mass that was occupying the whole of Sparky’s abdomen and pushing all of his organs over to one side.
“It was a large, poorly marginated mass of fat filling the peritoneal cavity, which was displacing the kidneys dorsally as well as the small intestine cranially, and the descending colon dorsally and to the left.”
The only treatment available in this “remarkable case” was exploratory surgery to remove the mass as much as possible.
Janet McClaran, soft tissue surgery specialist at Linnaeus-owned LVS, and surgical intern Beatrice Hertel carried out the delicate operation.
Dr McClaran explained: “The operation was challenging as the origin of the mass was unknown and some delicate structures – such as Sparky’s vital organs, important nerves and major blood vessels – could have been encountered when removing a mass of this size.
“Additionally, the anaesthesia can be complicated, so we worked very closely with our specialist David Neilson as we carried out the complex operation.”
She added: “Lipomas are benign growths which are quite common in dogs, but the typical location is under the skin, on the outside of dogs.
“Sparky’s lipoma had originated in an atypical location on his inside, but, luckily, surgery was possible to remove it and make room for his stomach to resume its normal function.“
Dr McClaran added: “Surgery was a complete success, so much so that Sparky had his appetite back soon after the operation and was enthusiastically tucking into his food again that evening.
“In no time at all he was able to return home to his family and his normal Labrador-sized meals again.”
