Key-Gaskell's?

Re: Key-Gaskell's?

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 17:02:08 GMT

Don't know if anyone else has read it but there is a letter in Vet Times this week regarding an outbreak of megaoesophagus in dogs in Latvia, possibly linked to food. Given the unpublished but widely rumoured link of Key-Gaskells syndrome to Purina catfood in the 80's here it made me wonder.

Re: Key-Gaskell's?

Busybee — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 23:02:12 GMT

Well she started eating last night, thankfully. I also spoke with the owner and they have not noticed any real regurgitation/ vomiting, third eyelid protrusion or ptyalism. However, first thing this morning, she had a very large but expressible bladder - she had been urinating fine up to this point. This was when I was handing over after my weekend on duty so advised we ought to monitor this over the course of the day and I pray that this isn't the start of urinary retention issues. The owner was not keen on rads/scans as the cat is eating better - it was a fight to get her to have the cat in the hospital in the first place! I'm not back in clinic til Wednesday but am keeping my fingers crossed!

Re: Key-Gaskell's?

Georgina Stanley — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 20:59:34 GMT

How was your patient today busybee? I had a look back over my case from 2012 . Thankfully he rallied and is doing well. Initially we used pilocarpine to control his pupillary dilation (as he was showing signs of photophobia) and managed the constipation with lactulose. to help with the regurgitation he was fed liquidised/mushed food and the owner was supplied with cisapride (which I don't think she ever needed to administer). His weight increased and he was weaned off the pilocarpine drops& lactulose. We've seen him for 2 boosters since and other than the occasional vomit/regurg he's ok. The advice I got from the RVC back in 2012 was that some of the more chronic cases survive and if urination is unaffected just need to manage nutritional aspects (possibly with tube feeding) & use lactulose as needed. No new treatment was known at that time and was still an unknown 'toxin' cause.

Re: Key-Gaskell's?

Simo — Sun, 26 Apr 2015 16:33:23 GMT

[quote user="Hannah Bose"]

I saw 4 cases in the 15 months that I worked in a practice in West Sussex. 2 of the cases were confirmed at PM. 1 have seen 1 suspect case in East Sussex.

[/quote]

I've seen a kitten 8mo when working in Kent/Sussex border at a rescue centre, given away by previous owner because couldn't litter train, mildly ataxic, with slight 3rd eyelid protrusion, slow pupillar reflex and little interest for food. It was one of my possible diagnosis, but due to really short founding no further investigation was possible, last time I saw him we agreed to try a little longer to litter train and monitor for other neurological signs, but that rehoming was quite unlikely, unless some of the volunteers wished to take him home.

Re: Key-Gaskell's?

Busybee — Sun, 26 Apr 2015 15:48:36 GMT

Many thanks. I wasn't sure if 14 was too old for it to be KG? But it isn't impossible this cat has had it for longer, it isn't a cat we see too often but has had a history of a cough (?aspiration) and intermittent constipation.

Re: Key-Gaskell's?

Joyce Whitehead — Sun, 26 Apr 2015 14:57:27 GMT

We seem to be averaging one case per year over the last 3-4 years. The last few we have had have been quite severe, and have been euthanased after 48 hours or so once it was apparent how bad they were. I tend to give them a pretty grim prognosis as well. I feel that the ones we have seen in recent years were worse than those I saw back in the eighties. Maybe this is because then we saw lots, and there was therefore more of a variation. I did quite a bit of phoning round when I had my first one in recent times, and the conclusion was that sadly there was little new to add. At 15 I would be fearful that your one may not fare too well Busybee, sorry!

Re: Key-Gaskell's?

Busybee — Sun, 26 Apr 2015 13:01:13 GMT

Any new thoughts on this condition? Possibly have one in the hospital at the moment but is a 14 year old siamese. Ticks every box (anorexic, ptyalism, constipation, mild dehydration, hypothermia, dilated pupils with sluggish PLR, STT of 10-12) but is urinating ok, there is minimal third eyelid protrusion, she is not that bradycardic (160bpm) and there has been one episode of vomiting but will take and swallow laxapet fine. Survey imaging +/- enema planned for tomorrow but the signs aren't looking good. Any new ideas?

Re: Key-Gaskell's?

HMC — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 16:19:37 GMT

p.s. that would have been a maximum of 4 years ago.

Re: Key-Gaskell's?

HMC — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 16:18:50 GMT

I saw 4 cases in the 15 months that I worked in a practice in West Sussex. 2 of the cases were confirmed at PM. 1 have seen 1 suspect case in East Sussex.

Re: Key-Gaskell's?

Derek Lyon — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 17:06:20 GMT

Although it's some 15 years since I retired from Vet Practice I still remember this condition. I used to use Ovarid in the hope it would help with appetite stimulation etc and it did work on most occasions! Why I do not know. On a similar note MANY years ago I found that using Stilboestrol cured inter digital cysts in several cases! Why?

Re: Key-Gaskell's?

Joyce Whitehead — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 13:59:52 GMT

I think the last I heard was that there might be a link with Botulism (in the same way as Grass Sickness)? Certainly at one time there was research looking at that, but funding dried up because of the lack of cases I think. There must really have been a food link as it was so prevalent at one time and then disappeared?

Re: Key-Gaskell's?

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 13:53:06 GMT

I've not seen any since it virtually disappeared as soon as it appeared in the 80's. We had cat with it which we adopted after it was abandoned and it lived to 12 years which I reckoned had to be the longest KG syndrome survivor, before the children's nanny ran it over!, but it didn't have a severe megaoesophagus which probably helped. Don't know if it is still apt but sources very high in the feline field alleged was a direct link to Purina cat food but this was never stated in public.

Re: Key-Gaskell's?

Joyce Whitehead — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:24:52 GMT

I had one about 18 months ago - an approximately 18 month old male neuter, (who had been hand reared at the surgery which made it worse!). He, like yours, was not severe, but progressed quickly (over a week or so) to obvious signs, and was subsequently euthanased. I am old enough to remember it first time round, and I would say our case wasn't as severe as those we saw in the 80's, but sounds very likely from what you describe.

I did a bit of research and spoke to a couple of people who had done research in the recent past, and there was really nothing much new unfortunately in the way of treatment. Despite our best efforts, he went downhill and couldn't keep any food down at all. Hope you are more successful with this one - we did have quite a few survivors in the "old days". Feeling old now...