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Tension pneumoperitoneum secondary to duodenal perforation presumptively due to the administration of meloxicam in a cat
Author(s) -
Bernabe Alejandra,
Valles Nuria,
Echalecu Marina S.,
Garrigos Alejandro,
Agut Amalia
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
veterinary record case reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.165
H-Index - 4
ISSN - 2052-6121
DOI - 10.1002/vrc2.40
Subject(s) - medicine , pneumoperitoneum , exploratory laparotomy , meloxicam , lethargy , duodenum , gastrointestinal perforation , peritonitis , surgery , laparotomy , abdominal distension , anesthesia , perforation , vomiting , laparoscopy , materials science , punching , metallurgy
A 4‐year‐old neutered domestic cat was presented with a history of vomiting, anorexia, lethargy and severe abdominal distension. The cat was hypothermic and hypotensive. It had received a week course of meloxicam. Abdominal radiographies revealed the presence of a very large volume of peritoneal gas associated loss in peritoneal serosal detail and gastric dilatation. The presumptive diagnosis was tension pneumoperitoneum and peritonitis caused, most likely, by a gastrointestinal perforation. Exploratory laparotomy confirmed the presence of a duodenum perforation. At the end of the surgery, the cat suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest and died. Unfortunately, the post‐mortem examination was not allowed. Spontaneous pneumoperitoneum is a rare condition reported in cats. The incidence of non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) induced by gastroduodenal perforation in cats has been reported in a few cases. In the cat reported here, the authors suspect that duodenal perforation was secondary to NSAID administration.