Surgical management of a vascular ring anomaly associated with right aortic arch in a German shepherd dog

Abstract

A 3 month old female German shepherd was presented to the Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex, with a history of vomiting from past 1 week, weight loss, difficulty during respiration. The dog was dull and emaciated. The thoracic radiographs revealed radiolucent structure which was surrounded by radiopaque wall cranial to the base of heart and contrast oesophagography revealed oesophageal dilatation cranial to the base of heart, characterizing megaoesophagus. A tentative diagnosis was made as persistent right aortic arch (PRAA). A left 4th intercostal thoracotomy was performed and the definitive diagnosis was made as PRAA. The surgical correction was by the ligation and transection of ligamentum arteriosum.