Presence of hepatolithiasis in dogs undergoing cholecystectomy did not lead to biliary obstruction within the first postoperative year in 14 cases (2014–2024)

Objective: To describe the long-term clinical significance of hepatolithiasis identified in dogs undergoing cholecystectomy. Animals: 14 dogs that underwent cholecystectomy at a single university and had evidence of mineralizations or stones within the intrahepatic ducts on preoperative ultrasound between January 1, 2014, and May 31, 2024, were included. Clinical Presentation: Dogs diagnosed with gallbladder disease requiring cholecystectomy and hepatolithiasis on preoperative ultrasound with or without intrahepatic duct dilation. Results: Of 183 dogs undergoing cholecystectomy in 10 years, 14 (8%) were diagnosed with hepatolithiasis on preoperative diagnostic imaging. The median age and weight at the time of surgery were 11 years old (range, 3 to 13 years) and 7.3 kg (range, 1.63 to 30.0 kg), respectively. Gallbladder culture results were available for 12 of 14 dogs, showing no growth in 7 of 12 (58%), unimicrobial growth in 3 of 12 (25%), and polymicrobial growth in 2 of 12 (16.7%). Liver biopsies most commonly revealed hepatitis or cholangiohepatitis (9 of 14 [64%]). None of the dogs had any hepatoliths addressed during the cholecystectomy procedure. Perioperative mortality occurred in 2 of 14 (14%). No dogs surviving the perioperative period required follow-up surgical intervention due to progression or migration of hepatoliths into the common bile duct or other intrahepatic biliary obstruction within a median follow-up of 538.5 days (range, 147 to 3,316 days). Clinical Relevance: Hepatolithiasis did not pose long-term complications in this population of dogs undergoing cholecystectomy. Dogs did not require secondary surgeries or long-term medical management for hepatolithiasis; therefore, the prognosis did not appear to be worse in dogs undergoing cholecystectomy.