Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus in Thorax of a Cat

Year 2025, Volume: 44 Issue: 1, 70 - 74, 29.07.2025

Elif Ünlü , Mustafa Ömer Üküm , Nihal Gül Satar

Abstract

In this report, a case of gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV), which has developed after a traumatic diaphragmatic hernia in a cat, has been described. This cat has been taken to three different veterinary clinics and remained undiagnosed. In this process, this cat was diagnosed with a tibial fracture and was applied a bandage procedure under sedation to fix the broken bones. After 12 hours of the “closed reduction” procedure for fracture, this cat was brought to our emergency clinic at the Animal Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bursa Uludag University with signs of acute dyspnea, enlargement of the left costal region, and lameness. On clinical examination, heart sounds on the right side were more pronounced and audible than on the left. On radiographic examination, loss of the regular diaphragm line, shift of the heart to the right, and shadow of the excessive gas-containing stomach could be observed in the thoracic cavity. The cat's current severe respiratory distress was treated with oxygen administration, intravenous fluid therapy, and relief of diaphragmatic pressure by utilizing stomach decompression with needle. The patient died during the operation despite all interventions. To our knowledge, the presented clinical study is the first report on gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV) inside the thorax cavity in cats. This case should remind clinicians that all systems should be examined in trauma patients.

Keywords

Cat, diaphragmatic hernia, gastro thorax, trauma

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