Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat vomiting and stopped eating from hair follicle blockage
By Töpfer, A et al.·Published in Tierarztliche Praxis. Ausgabe K, Kleintiere/Heimtiere·2014·Annika Tö·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: [Ileus provoked by hairfollicles in form of a foreign body granuloma in the small intestine of a cat. A case report].
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old cat was brought to the vet because she was vomiting and not eating. The vet suspected a blockage in her intestines, which can sometimes indicate cancer, especially in older cats. However, it turned out that the blockage was caused by hair follicles forming a lump in her intestines, which the vet was able to remove through surgery. After the procedure, the cat recovered well, showing that not all cases of intestinal blockage in older cats are due to cancer.
People also search for: cat vomiting and not eating · cat intestinal blockage treatment · older cat hairball problems
Abstract
Vomitus and anorexia is a frequent reason for presentation of cats at any age at the veterinarian. When an underlying ileus is suspected the risk of a neoplasia is considered to be high, especially in older patients. Due to high cost for diagnostics and treatment and a guarded prognosis owners frequently opt for euthanasia of those animals without verification of the tentative diagnosis. In this cat the ileus was caused by hairfollicles in form of a foreign body granuloma in the intestinal mucosa, which could be removed without difficulty by an enterectomy. So far no similar case report has been documented. This case demonstrates that in spite of a justified suspicion of a neoplasia in an elder animal this will not necessarily be verified by histopathological examination. Further diagnostic measures should always be performed to establish a prognosis for the patient.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25323214/