BRAVE PEPPER MAKES GOOD RECOVERY FOLLOWING HIS OWN ATTEMPT AT A GASTRIC (ELASTIC) BAND! Little Pepper was bought into see our vet Tom having been vomitting for 3 days and not eating. Hed also been vomitting occasionally over the previous 3 weeks and gradually losing weight. When he was examined Tom was very concerned about his drop in weight and the fact that despite drinking plenty Pepper was very dehydrated. He could also feel a firm tubular structure in his abdomen which he was concerned could signify an intestinal blockage. Tom discussed with Peppers concerned owners what may be causing the illness and the options available to investigate further. Pepper was admitted, put on a drip and bloods were taken to look for an underlying cause. Over the next 24 hours our registered veterinary nurse Tace kept a close eye on Pepper alongside Tom. The blood sample failed to show an obvious underlying cause, and with Pepper only showing minimal response to her treatment attention was turned to the structure that was felt in his abdomen. This was still present the next day and hadnt moved. Peppers owners were advised Pepper needed to be operated on as soon as possible to see what was happening internally and for it to be corrected before further, potentially fatal damage occurred. Tom carried out an exploratory laparotomy the following morning which involves surgically opening up the abdomen. A long foreign body could be felt in the start of Peppers small intestine which had caused the intestines to all bunch up along it, causing an obstruction. This is what Tom had felt from the outside. The foreign body continued up into the stomach where it was stuck. In order to remove all of it multiple incisions had to be made into Peppers intestines and one into his stomach and the foreing body cut into sections and removed one piece at a time. We were all surprised at not just what was removed but how much (see picture)! Multiple hair bands and other bungy cord material was present. We suspect Pepper had been eating these over the previous few weeks. It is very unusual for cats to ingest foreign bodies, especially this much. Most commonly it tends to be ribbon or string which the cat is playing with. The surgery went well and her anaesthetic was stable under the watchful eye of Tace. Pepper wasnt quite out of the woods as a big risk with this surgery is that the insicions into the intestine can break down causing potentially fatal peritonitis. However, the good news is that the next day Pepper was a different cat. She started eating and was demanding fuss from all of the staff when ever they walked past her kennel. And it was hard to resist! She went home the day after her surgery and we are pleased to say she is currently making a great recovery! So Pepper is our November Pet of the Month for her bravery and resolve. We dont think his new diet will catch on quite like the Atkins diet, but it reminds us all to be particularly vigilant about what our cats and dogs can get their paws on, especially at this time of year as our sparkly Christmas decorations start coming out.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Dec 2014 11:19:26 +0000
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