Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
XVIII. Ulusal - IV. Uluslararası Veteriner Cerrahi Kongresi , Antalya, Türkiye, 27 - 30 Ekim 2024, ss.153, (Özet Bildiri)
Objective: This case report was prepared to share the diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation of a cat in
the last trimester of pregnancy with concurrent chronic diaphragmatic hernia.
Case description: A 2-year-old female mixed-breed cat was brought to Ankara University, Faculty of
Veterinary Medicine, Animal Hospital, Surgery Clinic, with respiratory distress following a fall.
Clinical signs included dyspnea, a “dog sitting” position, bloody vaginal discharge, and a body
temperature of 37.1°C. Diagnostic imaging revealed a loss of the diaphragm border and the presence of
multiple fetal skeletons and intestinal segments in the thoracic cavity. Hypomobility in the intestines
was detected via ultrasonography. The cat was placed in intensive care, receiving oxygen support and
fluid therapy with lactated Ringer's solution (10 mg/kg/hr). An emergency surgery was decided upon,
and preemptive analgesia was administered with morphine HCl. General anesthesia was induced with
propofol (4 mg/kg IV) and maintained with isoflurane using a cuffed No. 3 endotracheal tube.
Automated ventilation was set to “pressure controlled ventilation” at 10 cm H2O with a breath rate of
16 breaths/minute and PEEP of 2 cm H2O. The surgical procedure included a cesarean section,
ovariohysterectomy, and herniorrhaphy. Postoperatively, the cat received fluid therapy and
analgesics but lost her kittens on the 2nd postoperative day. Due to lack of defecation abdominal
ultrasonography was performed and paralytic ileus was noted, but symptoms subsided with continued
fluid therapy, and the cat was discharged on the 12th postoperative day.
Discussion/Conclusion: The timing of intervention and surgery significantly impacts postoperative
complications and survival rates in diaphragmatic hernia cases. Despite minimizing operation time,
paralytic ileus was attributed to pressure from the developing fetuses affecting intestinal motility.
Chronic diaphragmatic hernias present greater challenges compared to acute cases. This case and its
management offer valuable insights for clinical practice.