Idiopathic Phenobarbital-Responsive Sialadenosis
in a Maltese Dog: Clinical Findings and Outcomes
Yong-Sung Nam, Min-Hee Kang, Seung-Gon Kim and
Hee-Myung Park*
Department of
Veterinary Internal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk
University, Seoul, South Korea;
*Corresponding author: parkhee@konkuk.ac.kr
Abstract
An 11-year-old, castrated male Maltese dog was
admitted with history of dyspnea and intermittent vomiting. The dog was
presented with facial edema, neck spasms and enlarged mandibular and sublingual
salivary glands. Initially, the dog was symptomatically treated with
prednisolone, theophylline, doxycycline and clindamycin. Facial edema was mildly
alleviated but foamy vomiting continued. The dog was diagnosed as sialadenosis
based on results of fine needle aspiration, biopsy and histopathology of
salivary glands. The dog was initiated with phenobarbital sodium (1.5 mg/kg PO
q12h) and the dog’s clinical signs were improved within 24 hours following
therapy. Sublingual salivary glands were shrinkened 3 months after phenobarbital
administration. To the author’s knowledge, this case was first reported in a
Maltese dog and describes diagnosis and treatment of a dog with sialadenosis for
long-term period.