The gallbladder is an organ that sits just below the liver on the right side of the abdomen. The gallbladder collects and stores bile, a digestive fluid produced by the liver. Because of the gallbladder’s function, inflammation of the bile duct (choledochitis) and inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis) are two commonly related conditions. Cholecystitis can be acute or chronic, septic or non-septic, calculus or acalculus, necrotizing or non-necrotizing, and/or emphysematous. Shetland Sheepdogs may be more likely to develop cholecystitis than other breeds of dog. Treatments of cholecystitis attempt to repair the relationship between the intestines, gallbladder, and liver. This can be done by removing the gallbladder and mimicking its’ functions or finding an alternative means of communication between these parts to aid in digestion.

Types of cholecystitis (gallbladder inflammation) include emphysematous cholecystitis/choledochitis, non-necrotizing cholecystitis and necrotizing cholecytitis. Necrosis refers to the death of cells in an organ or tissue, normally caused by disease, injury, or lack of blood supply.

In addition to the three types above, there are a number of characterizations used for cholecystitis. It may be acute or chronic, septic or non-septic and calculus (some obstruction formed, typically from salts, acids, or cholesterol) or acalculus.

While the causes of cholecystitis aren’t well understood, there are a few possible associations that can be made:

Though not necessarily causes of cholecystitis, there are some factors that increase the risk of your dog developing this condition:

Shetland Sheepdogs may have a higher vulnerability to the development of cholecystitis than other breeds of dogs.

Diagnostic tests will be used to rule out other possible conditions that could cause the symptoms your pet is presenting. Some of the possible diagnostic tests include:

The goal of treatment is to restore the status of fluids and electrolytes in the body. This can be achieved in a few different ways:

Things to be aware of through the recovery process include possible cholecystectomy side effects, such as abdominal pain and diarrhea. Cholecystectomy causes loss of the gallbladder’s functions, so the amount of bile increases. Recurrences of the condition are possible. Your dog should be monitored for fever, lack of appetite, and vomiting. Your veterinarian will likely schedule follow-up visits so that physical exams and any necessary tests can be done to monitor the pet’s condition and avoid recurrence of the condition. In addition, monitoring should be done of rectal temperature in animals with cyclic illness. Most post-treatment illnesses are responsive to antibiotics. For most pets, treatment is highly effective and long-term survival with a good quality of life is expected for cases in which neoplasia is not present.