Introduction
Megacolon is a functional disorder that is defined as dilatation of the colon or large intestine; this leads to infrequent and difficult passage of feces and constipation
There are congenital form which are present from birth
The acquired form is most common
Megacolon is found primarily in cats, but also can occur in dogs
Diagnosis of
Megacolon in Cats
·
Most of the time a
vet will diagnose megacolon by taking an xray. A radiograph of a cat with
megacolon will show a very dilated colon filled with firm stool. The colon in
this diagram to the right shows a colon that is at least twice the size of that
of a normal cat.
·
Cats with
megacolon will generally have extreme constipation. However, sometimes, when
there is rock hard stool in the colon some liquid can get by and it can look
like the cat has diarrhea.
·
Unfortunately it
is difficult to tell sometimes whether a cat has megacolon or if the cat simply
has constipation issues. The difference between the two is that when a cat has
megacolon the colon will no longer function properly ever again. If there is
simply constipation then once the cause of the constipation is resolved the cat
should be able to defecate normally again.
Causes of
Megacolon in cats
Cats with megacolon have lost their ability to move stool
through the large intestine. Megacolon is usually the result of a colon that
has been stretched too much for too long. There are several possible causes of
megacolon:
·
Constipation that
has been untreated for too long
·
An obstruction in
the intestines which causes stool to pile up in front of it
·
Hirschsprung's
disease which is a genetic condition in which the nerves supplying the colon
stop working
·
"Idiopathic"
which means that we simply don't know the cause
Treatment of
Megacolon and constipation in cats
There are a number of things that your vet may do to help
a cat with megacolon:
·
IV fluid therapy.
This is important because most cats with megacolon will be dehydrated. The
fluids help to rehydrate the cat and also to add fluid to the rock hard stool
in the colon.
·
Warm water enemas.
·
Lubrication of the
rectum with ky jelly or other lubricant.
·
Potentially a
general anesthetic can be administered and the vet will manually palpate the
colon and try to break up the stool. This can be helpful, but if a colon is
very damaged it can potentially rupture with this type of palpation.
Once some of the stool is removed then there are a number
of things that your vet may recommend to help to move your cat's bowels:
Do not try any of these methods
for your cat without the advice of you veterinarian!
·
Oral
administration of lactulose which helps to soften stools.
·
Occasional
microlax enemas.
·
Cisapride or
metaclopramide tablets which help to move the intestines.
·
Miralax granules
added to the food.
·
A change in diets.
Some cats with megacolon do well with the addition of fiber (bran, pumpkin,
metamucil) while other cats do better with a prescription low residue diet.
Surgery for cats
with megacolon
If a cat truly has
megacolon (which means that the colon is not able to function at all) the only
option may be to have surgery done. The surgery is called a subtotal colectomy. When a subtotal colectomy is done,
the majority of the colon is removed. Most cats do very well after this
surgery, however, there are a few important factors to know about this surgery:
·
It can be very
expensive. The surgery is difficult and usually the cat requires a long
hospital stay.
·
It can be a risky
surgery. Some cats do not survive the surgery.
·
Most cats will
have slightly soft stools after the surgery. However, there are some cats that
end up with chronic diarrhea after having a subtotal colectomy.
Generally, however, cats who have a subtotal colectomy do
extremely well. If your cat is having chronic problems with constipation then
this is definitely a good option to consider.
What if I can't
afford surgery and my cat still can't poop?
Unfortunately there are some cats who just do not respond
to the medical treatments for megacolon. If surgery is not an option and
medical therapy is not working, unfortunately a good number of cats with
megacolon need to be euthanized.
If you think your
cat may have megacolon and you would like to talk to a vet about the situation,
you can ask…..your vet
Reference
http://www.vetsurgerycentral.com/megacolon.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment