Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with breathing trouble had missed pine cone stuck in windpipe
By Johns, Sara et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2014·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Tracheal foreign body and pneumonia in a cat: a near missed diagnosis.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 12-year-old mixed-breed Maine Coon cat was brought to the vet after having trouble breathing for a week. Initial tests suggested she had bronchopneumonia and asthma, but treatment didn’t fully help. When her breathing changed again, further X-rays revealed a piece of a pine cone stuck in her trachea. After the vet removed the foreign object, her breathing problems cleared up completely.
People also search for: cat breathing problems · Maine Coon respiratory distress · foreign body in cat trachea · pine cone stuck in cat throat
Abstract
A 12 yr old mixed-breed Maine coon was referred with a 1 wk history of intermittent respiratory distress. Physical examination and thoracic radiograph abnormalities were consistent with bronchopneumonia and chronic feline asthma. Repeat thoracic radiographs and lung aspirate cytology supported those diagnoses. Response to treatment was incomplete. One wk later, due to a change in respiratory pattern, cervical radiographs were obtained. A soft-tissue density was apparent in the cat's cervical trachea. Bronchoscopy was performed and a segment of a pine cone was removed from the cat's trachea. Following removal of the foreign body, the cat's respiratory signs resolved. Premature diagnostic closure may prevent a clinician from recognizing an underlying missed diagnosis when response to treatment does not occur as expected.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24855088/