Subject: GI Obstruction of unknown cause -- information and good thoughts needed
Message-ID: <C1Gzsr.MH8@cmcl2.nyu.edu>
Sender: notes@cmcl2.nyu.edu (Notes Person)
Nntp-Posting-Host: liu.cns.nyu.edu
Reply-To: jeff@cns.nyu.edu
Organization: New York University
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 16:43:38 GMT
Lines: 36
On Sunday night, Jennifer (12 years old) rather suddenly (having eaten her usual
dinner at 6PM with her usual gusto) became distressed and was in obvious severe
pain -- could hardly walk. At the vet the next morning X-rays showed a very
distended stomach, full of food, and about 4 times normal size. Her lower
GI tract was basically empty. A few ccs of barium given orally has slowly
cleared the stomach but today, about 22 hrs after it was given, is still in the small and large intestine. There are no obvious foreign bodies or masses, and Jennifer
seems bright and alert -- slight fever, blood work normal except for slightly
elevated white count.
With 20/20 hindsight, I guess I would say I'd been noticing a decreased amount
of poop in the litter box in the week or so before Jennifer got visably sick,
but since she shares the box with her brother Simon, it was hard to be sure.
(Simon, by the way, has gotten fairly obstructed from hairballs, but he had
obvious symptoms of vomiting -- I don't understand how a cat with a totally
distended stomach can scarf down another meal without barfing?!)
Treatment for another day or so with mineral oil and laxatone, before considering
surgery.
The vet said that there are some infections that can cause drastically altered
motility, but obviously the cause of the obstruction is really unknown at
this point.
What are folks' thoughts, advice, etc on this? We're of course very anxious and worried
waiting to find out what is going on. Has anyone had experience with surgery of
this magnitude in a 12 year-old kitty? Please, send some good thoughts Jennifer's
