Mucinous Gastric Carcinoma With Abdominal Carcinomatosis and Hypergastrinemia in a Dog

A 12-year-old, spayed female Australian cattle dog was evaluated for a 5-month history of progressive vomiting. Abdominal radiographs and ultrasound revealed significant gastric wall thickening and a peripancreatic mass, and serum gastrin concentration was increased (127 pg/mL, reference range 10 to 40 pg/mL). Surgical exploration of the abdomen revealed a thickened, firm, and irregular gastric fundus, pylorus, and antrum; nodules were present throughout the spleen and mesentery adjacent to the left limb of the pancreas. Mucinous gastric carcinoma with carcinomatosis was diagnosed by histopathological examination of surgically excised tissues. Unfortunately, severe postoperative complications resulted in euthanasia 10 days after surgery, and a necropsy was not performed. This case is significant, because it is the first report of a mucinous gastric carcinoma associated with hypergastrinemia in a dog. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc 2009;45:197-202.