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Cat unable to defecate
Edi was a 12yo female cat brought to our surgery with a long history of difficult defaecation.The owner told us that the cat would strain for hours to express the stool but usually with very poor results. This problem has persisted for a few months and was getting worse. For a few days prior to presentation Edi was very depressed, not eating at all and drinking small amounts of water. The owner said that Edi had lost a lot of weight.
During the clinical examination we found the cat was very thin and dehydrated. It was difficult to check the rectal temperature because the rectum was so full of solid faecal matter. By palpation of the abdominal cavity we discovered a large, firm, sausage like enlargement.
We decided to perform an x-ray to confirm the diagnosis At this stage from the history and examination we suspected 'megacolon'.
It is clearly seen on the x-ray film that the large intestine (colon) is grossly enlarged and full of faeces. The x-ray examination confirmed the diagnosis of megacolon. Literally translated, megacolon means "big large intestine". This disease is mostly seen in cats. The aetiology of the disease is not clear. The large intestine of affected cats does not empty so it becomes full and enlarged.
The treatment of this disease is surgical and after discussion with the owner we decided to operate on Edi. The Operation consists of removing the large intestine surgically by a method known as "Subtotal colectomy".
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Preoperative preparation
of the patient |
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Edi recovered quickly from the surgery. Before, during and two days after the surgery Edi received i/v fluids. On the third day after the surgery she started to eat. Very soon she was eating and drinking normally. She passed faeces on the second day after the operation and since then she had several stools per day. The number of stools was back to normal two months after the surgery.
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Large intestine was removed
and the ends sutured together |
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Large intestine after the opening
of the abdominal cavity
 Size and look of removed large intestine
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