Mean seeds, migrating plant awns embedded in a miniature poodle’s bladder wall

Abstract

Background: Intramural bladder foreign bodies resulting from migration of grass awns have been rarely described in the veterinary literature. Surgical removal should be considered the treatment of choice for symptomatic lesions. Case Description: A clinical case of a miniature poodle with increased urination and progressive hypoechoic mural nodules on repeat bladder ultrasound is described. An exploratory bladder surgery with excision of the 2 lesions was performed, allowing the extraction of a plant foreign body from the bladder wall. Conclusion: This is among the first cases in the veterinary literature in which a grass awn has been surgically extracted from the wall of the bladder in a dog. Differential diagnosis of intramural bladder lesions in dogs should include lesions caused by migratory plant awn foreign bodies.

Keywords

• awn
• bladder
• plant foreign body