Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pet with trouble pooping after spay surgery - what to know
By Coolman, B R et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·1999·Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Partial colonic obstruction following ovariohysterectomy: a report of three cases.
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old female dog and a 3-year-old female cat both developed partial blockage of the colon after being spayed (ovariohysterectomy). The blockage was caused by fibrous tissue that formed around the colon, leading to constipation and other digestive issues in the dog, which showed symptoms five weeks after surgery. In the cat, the obstruction was found incidentally during a surgery performed 27 months later. All three pets had the fibrous tissue surgically removed and recovered without any further complications.
People also search for: dog constipation after spay · cat colon blockage symptoms · spay surgery complications in pets
Abstract
Partial extramural obstruction of the descending colon was diagnosed in two dogs and a cat as a complication of elective ovariohysterectomy. In each case, the obstruction was caused by fibrous tissue that encircled or crossed the descending colon, severely restricting the organ's normal mobility and luminal diameter. Clinical signs secondary to obstipation were observed in two cases, five weeks and 27 months after elective ovariohysterectomy. In one dog without clinical signs, the adhesion was an incidental finding during a laparotomy performed nine years after the ovariohysterectomy. The fibrous adhesions were removed surgically in all three cases without additional complications.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10102186/