At just 700 grams, tiny kitten Dot needed life-saving surgery when a hidden intestinal problem took a sudden turn for the worse.
At just three and a half months old and weighing only 700 grams, little Dot faced a much bigger challenge than anyone expected when he was brought into Bicester Vets after vomiting several times.
Initially, Dot was still bright and alert, so he was given medication to settle his sickness and monitored closely. Unfortunately, rather than improving, he became increasingly lethargic and continued to vomit. It was clear that something more serious was going on.
Dot was admitted to the hospital for further investigation, where imaging revealed an intussusception, a condition where one section of the intestine slides inside the section next to it, a little like the parts of a telescope folding into one another. This causes an obstruction and, importantly, can cut off the blood supply to the affected intestine.
Dot needed surgery urgently. Anaesthesia and major abdominal surgery carry additional risks in such a tiny patient, but without intervention we were concerned that we could lose him.
Vets Kyra and Ben, assisted by veterinary nurse Cassie, took Dot to theatre. During surgery, the intussusception was confirmed and carefully corrected. Unfortunately, part of Dot’s intestine had already turned a dark purple-black colour, showing that its blood supply had been lost and the tissue was no longer viable.
The damaged section was removed and the two healthy ends of intestine were carefully joined back together, a procedure known as an end-to-end anastomosis.
Despite his tiny size and the seriousness of his condition, Dot sailed through his recovery. In fact, shortly after waking from his anaesthetic he was already trying to eat, a very welcome sight after everything he had been through!
Dot continued to make excellent progress and is now back at home, where his owners report that he is firmly back to his usual mischievous self.
In young cats, intestinal intussusception can sometimes be associated with intestinal parasites, so Dot was also given appropriate parasite treatment to help reduce the risk of the problem happening again.
For a kitten weighing less than a bag of sugar, Dot certainly proved that sometimes the smallest patients can be the toughest.
