Rectal prolapse in cats. Anyone can help?

RE: Rectal prolapse in cats. Anyone can help?

joanne mcallister — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 08:40:43 GMT

The cat I was treating for recurrent prolpase was euthanased yesterday after prolapsing for the 4th time. I had done a pexy a couple of weeks ago. Another vet had discussed doing sub-total colectomy. Has anyone tried this for recurrent prolapse? I have only done them for mediacally untreatable megacolon.

RE: Rectal prolapse in cats. Anyone can help?

David Mills — Tue, 22 Mar 2016 22:31:55 GMT

We have 5 or 6 of these a year normally in stray cats <2y, and almost all are euth'd in the end due to recurrence. Unless you can identify and address the underlying cause (normally parasites in strays) it's a waste of time unfortunately. We've tried pexys but they don't reliably work - I think 1 in the last 10. Pet theory is that once they've prolapsed once the damage and stretch to connective tissue means they will again, and the power required to prolapse in the first place means it'll rip through the pexy sutures no problem.

Spose what I'm saying is don't feel bad.

RE: Rectal prolapse in cats. Anyone can help?

Luca Poddighe — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 17:36:52 GMT

I did the pexy, found no reasons for straining during the ex-lap, he did very well for a week before prolapsing again. The owner than elected to have him pts. I did the best that I could and indeed the tecnique was very easy, I'm just very scared of anything new :D

RE: Rectal prolapse in cats. Anyone can help?

grumpyoldman — Fri, 18 Mar 2016 00:29:51 GMT

a bit old fashioned now but it may be worth "peridale granules " to improve the stool consistency and myotonine to help with smooth muscle tone ,and probably a full thickness biopsy if it pops it out again if funds allow ?. The pexy is a good idea but better to biopsy first ,you do not want to tie down a colonic lymphoma.

RE: Rectal prolapse in cats. Anyone can help?

Joanne Patrick — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 16:23:59 GMT

Hi Luca

I have performed a colopexy on a number of cases that have recurrent rectal prolapse. Mainly in dogs but also in cats and even one ferret. I have had no serious complications, and no recurrence post colopexy. I would consult Fossum Small Animal Surgery where the technique is described if you have access. It is similar to a gastropexy if you have done one of those fixing the colon to the left abdominal wall approximately 2-3cm lateral to the linea alba. It is important to note on the clinical records that this has been performed so that if there is a future celiotomy everyone is aware otherwise one could inadvertently incise into the rectum accidentally.

RE: Rectal prolapse in cats. Anyone can help?

Hannah Wynne Richards — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 09:09:13 GMT

Lying owners are hell

Wynne

RE: Rectal prolapse in cats. Anyone can help?

Luca Poddighe — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 06:39:51 GMT

He passed faeces then the prolapse reoccured, in fact the owner has found lots of loose motions with some fresh blood and the cat prolapsed again. I get frustrated because I have stressed out when I removed the purse string that if he wasn't pooing or eating or he seemed in pain it was mandatory to recheck him.

My big problem is if I cannot trust them to monitor the animal in cage rest post surgery, can I believe that he was passing urine and motion normally before surgery? Probably not. But in this case I have no other history but the one I can get from the owner and from cliical examination.

RE: Rectal prolapse in cats. Anyone can help?

Hannah Wynne Richards — Mon, 14 Mar 2016 16:56:02 GMT

The no defaecation for 4 days would make me worry. Has it defaecated at all since the prolapse? If not, it could be like a dog I once treated. That looked like a prolapse, but was impossible to replace. I did an ex lap, and found an intusseception of the small intestine extending the entire length of the colon - and beyond. I reduced most of it, although the final bit needed resecting, and the dog did well.

Wynne

RE: Rectal prolapse in cats. Anyone can help?

Lindsey Edwards — Mon, 14 Mar 2016 13:11:28 GMT

I have had good long term response with dietary management in recurrent cases, high fibre diet once initial swelling resolved (48-72hrs post reduction), owners to monitor at least daily stools

RE: Rectal prolapse in cats. Anyone can help?

joanne mcallister — Mon, 14 Mar 2016 12:23:49 GMT

I'm struggling with a very similar case at the moment. 5 year old cat female cat prolapsed her rectum without any previous clinical signs a few weeks ago. Replaced the prolapse and put in a rectal purse-string suture for a few days and gave her lactulose and laxapast. She was fine for 10 days, then re-prolapsed. Money an issue, but I did xray her abdomen and checked urine sample before doing an exlap. There was no sign of mega-colon and no cystitis/uroliths. I removed a very large fur ball from her proximal colon and pexied her descending colon. In hindsight I wish I had taken bowel biopsies because she prolapsed again 10 days later and the owner reported seeing her strain to defecate before it happened this time. She had been on lactulose since the surgery.I have replaced the prolapsed colon and added a pursestring suture but am worried about damage from the pexy breakdown. I was wondering whether underlying IBD plus furballs might be behind this?

RE: Rectal prolapse in cats. Anyone can help?

ruths — Mon, 14 Mar 2016 11:01:49 GMT

I've pexied these with not too much stress.

I think the first one I did was a young kitten and that went well.

i know I've done a couple more but I can't remember why- maybe one was a bust pelvis that got complicated

RE: Rectal prolapse in cats. Anyone can help?

Mair Tyler — Mon, 14 Mar 2016 10:31:13 GMT

I had a case not long ago that was straining due to uroliths -worth an abdominal xray in case!