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Pet of the Month April 2013
by on April 3rd, 2013
Category: Pet of the Month, Tags:
Jess is a beautiful 8-year-old black cat who came into the surgery because she had lost her appetite. Her teeth were in need of attention and she was also vomiting. Despite appropriate medication Jess continued to be sick so blood tests were carried out, and she was medicated by injection as well as receiving intravenous fluids.
The blood tests suggested liver involvement but were not 100% conclusive. We therefore next carried out an ultrasound scan of Jess’ liver and placed an oesophagostomy feeding tube, as Jess was still not eating and would not tolerate syringe feeding. Her teeth were also cleaned and polished.
Oesophagostomy tubes are a type of feeding tube that passes through the side of the neck directly into the oesophagus (gullet). They are held in place with sutures and the area is bandaged for patient comfort. They are usually tolerated very well and can remain in place for months without any problems. The daily food requirement for the patient is worked out and fed in regular small amounts. The food we use is highly calorific and liquidised. If the tube gets blocked then we use coke to unblock it! The bandage is changed twice daily and the surgical wound site is cleaned at the same time.
Our scan showed Jess’ liver to be abnormal and mottled. An exploratory laporotomy was carried out and biopsies were taken to give us more information about her condition. As Jess recovered from her anaesthetic she developed a pneumothorax which is when air enters the chest cavity and deflates the lungs. She was placed in an oxygen tent and treated appropriately until it had resolved. This is a very rare and unusual occurrence that we felt related to an anatomical abnormality in her chest and not the surgery.
Jess recovered well from surgery and was sent home with her tube in place. She gradually started to eat more and more and brightened up. The biopsy results showed no sign of a tumour, and it was supposed that Jess had suffered inflammatory bowel disease or a localised peritonitis with some liver involvement.
Jess’ feeding tube was removed after being in place for just under four weeks. All medication was discontinued and she was put on a prescription diet.
Luckily Jess was insured so we were able to provide the very best possible care for her in what turned out to be a long and very complex case. We are thrilled that Jess is now a happy bright cat who is eating normally again.
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