Intestinal Incarceration and Strangulation by the Median Ligament of the Urinary Bladder in a Dog

A 4.5-year-old female spayed, mixed-breed (Beagle X Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) presented with acute onset of vomiting and abdominal pain. The dog had undergone an exploratory celiotomy for comparable symptoms 9 months earlier, with no aetiology identified. Computed tomography (CT) was highly suggestive of mechanical obstruction of the small intestine. An exploratory celiotomy was performed and identified strangulation of the jejunum by a rent within the median ligament of the urinary bladder. It was hypothesised the rent formed secondary to previous surgical trauma. Complete excision of the median ligament resulted in resolution of clinical signs. This report emphasises the importance of minimising the formation of mesenteric rents when performing abdominal surgery.