Accuracy of the Ultrasound Investigation in Gastrointestinal Linear Foreign Bodies in Cats

This paper briefly reviews the basic definitions of gastrointestinal foreign body in cats. Gastrointestinal foreign body may cause severe pathogenetic effects resulting in plication of the intestine, intussusception, potentially ruptured bowel and peritonitis. This study was conducted in the Clinic of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in the period between april 2018 - january 2019 on a number of three cats presented in the clinic with digestive syndrome. On physical examination, cats were slightly depressed, dehydrated, and expressed signs of abdominal pain (n=3), diarrhea (n=2), vomiting (n=3) and inappentence (n=3). The sonographic images were obtained with MyLab30 anf they identify the presence of a hyperechoic linear structure within the gastric lumen for one cat and in the intestinal lumen in two cats. In real time, the intestinal path was followed through many “hairpin” turns, and during this process the lumen was observed for identification of a linear structure. The diagnosis estalished a foreign body with thread and needle in two cases and a foreign body with only thread in the another case. The treatment consisted in two cases in surgery, and in the other case in monitoring the natural elimination of the foreign body. As a conlcusion the findings in this cases suggest that in a small animal with a gastrointestinal foreign body, ultrasonography alone could be used to make the diagnosis.