When Titus’s owners brought him in for an exam due to a lack of appetite, the last
thing they expected was that Titus would be in need of emergency surgery. Titus lost his appetite and began showing signs of discomfort about four days before his appointment. He didn’t want to drink anything either, so his owners had been using a dropper in an attempt to keep him hydrated. An exam confirmed that Titus was extremely uncomfortable and painful in his abdominal region. In addition, the owners’ normally sweet, loveable cat had become extremely irritable due to pain, and even began hissing and striking out at staff due to his discomfort.
Dr.Forbes knew there was a big possibility that Titus’s behavior and discomfort was rooting from something very serious. A foreign body was suspected and X-rays confirmed that there was definitely something blocking Titus’s intestinal tract. Surgery was needed to remove the object from Titus’s small intestine, and it needed to be done soon. After explaining the findings to Titus’s owners, they consented to surgery. After making an incision and carefully navigating Titus’s abdomen, Dr.Forbes found that a large portion of Titus’s small intestine was plicated. This means that it was bundled together like a scrunchie over a rubber band. The intestinal plication was caused by dental floss that Titus had gotten into and eaten 2 weeks prior. The floss had embedded itself in his small intestine, requiring that almost 9 inches of the small intestine be removed.
The problem was that this portion of small intestine included about 90% of Titus’s illium, which is the only part of the intestines that absorbs B vitamin. Depleting such a large portion of his small intestine also put Titus at risk for chronic diarrhea, which could make keeping Titus hydrated and nourished a constant struggle. Fortunately, B vitamin could be supplemented by injections, and there was a good chance Titus’s stools would regulate themselves with time.
Titus made a grand recovery and after only a few days in our hospital we were able to reunite him with his loving owners. They took him home and after watching him closely for a couple weeks were able to report that Titus was feeling great, and the B vitamin injections seemed to be working just fine. Titus is now back to feeling like himself again, and as long as he stays away from dental floss, should live a long, happy, healthy life.
Written by Alicen
