Today’s case is a 3-year-old male neutered ferret who presented with 3-day history of lethargy, not eating/drinking/defecating. The owner had been trying to syringe feed and force fluids. Upon presentation, he was at least 12% dehydrated, very weak. Abdomen appeared distended. Take a look and post your comments below!
Findings
The abdomen is distended with poor abdominal detail and a mottled pattern. There are multiple gas bubbles with unusual shapes that are not contained within bowel loops. The stomach appears gas distended, and multiple small intestinal loops are gas filled. In the portion of the thorax included, there is an area of alveolar pattern superimposed on the heart.
Differential Diagnosis
- Gastrointestinal ileus and free air in the peritoneum with mottled detail indicate perforated bowel and peritonitis
- Possible aspiration pneumonia or atalectasis
Diagnosis
On necropsy, two perforations were found in the small intestine with no evidence of foreign body, intussusception, etc. There was severe peritonitis.