"Archer" Howells

ArcherHowellsString Foreign Body

Archer Howells, a one year old male, neutered DSH, presented to The Village Vets - Decatur with a complaint of vomiting after possibly ingesting a string the previous night. Examination revealed a mildly lethargic cat with pain on palpation of the abdomen. Xrays were taken of his abdomen and revealed the small intestines to be tightly "bunched" together, a possible indication of a string foreign body. Archer was hospitalized and placed on intravenous fluids to correct dehydration before performing emergency surgery to remove the possible string foreign body.

After Archer was sedated, a string was noted around the base of his tongue, which can be a common occurrence with string ingestion in cats. The string was cut and Archer was taken to surgery. During surgery, Archer's small intestines were found to be "bunched" from the body trying to pass the string unsuccessfully, given that it was still anchored to the tongue. In order to remove the string. eight enterotomies (or incisions into the intestines) were performed. Removing the string from one incision was not possible without perforating (or rupturing) the intestines.

Archer spent one day in the hospital before "demanding" to be sent home.

"Cookie" Holden

Gastric dilatation and volvulus - bloatGastric Dilatation and Volvulus (commonly known as "bloat")

Cookie is a 10 year old female spayed mixed breed that presented to The Village Vets - Decatur during after hours, for unproductive vomiting, lethargy, a distended stomach and restlessness. The doctor's exam revealed a distended stomach and clinical signs consistent with shock (dehydration, rapid heart rate, weak pulses, low blood pressure).

X-rays were taken of her abdomen which revealed a condition known as Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus, or more commonly known as bloat. This condition develops when the stomach becomes distended with food, fluid, or air, causing the stomach to rotate, causing further distension. The rotation cuts off the blood supply to the stomach and emergency surgery is needed to put the stomach back into the correct position, reestablish blood flow, and attach the stomach to the body wall to prevent this from occurring again.

Cookie was treated for shock and stabilized for the surgical procedure. During the surgery, it was noted that the spleen was ruptured and bleeding, so the spleen was removed. This is often a complication of bloat, as the spleen is attached to the stomach by blood vessels and tissue, and when the stomach rotates, the spleen can also rotate. The stomach was emptied of air and fluid by using a tube inserted into Cookie's mouth. The stomach was then repositioned and sutured into place. While exploring the abdomen, some irregular areas were seen on the liver, so biopsy samples were collected.

Cookie was hospitalized for the next three days. All of her vital signs were monitored closely, and she was given pain medication, IV fluids and antibiotics. She was discharged from the Village Vets, the daytime practice with whom we share our facilities, and her continued recovery was monitored by her regular veterinarian at Dearborn Animal Hospital.

The biopsy results showed that the areas in the liver were benign. Two months later, Cookie's mom reports that Cookie is doing fantastic at home, has made a full recovery and is back to her old self.