Gastrointestinal osbtruction in dogs at the veterinary clinic, Kabete.

Abstract

A study of postmortem examination reports of dog conditions diagnosed at the faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, covering 16 years ( 1976-1991) revealed that intussusception was the most important cause of gastrointestinal (GI) obstruction in dogs. Out of 580 dog car-cases examined during this perriot GI obstructive conditions contributed to 63 (10.9%) of the cases and of these, 32 cases (50.8%) had intussusception. Other causes of GI obstruction were; gastric-dilatation volvulus - 16 cases (25.4%), torsion'or volvulus of .small intestines - 7 cases (11.1%), Diaphragmatic hernia 3 cases (4.8%), pyloric stenoisis, congenital obstruction at the ceco-colic junction and intestinal straangulation contributed one case (1.6%) each. Two cases could not be identified and these presumably did not originate from the clinic.The German Shepherd dog (GSD) breed and its crosses was affected by most GI obstruction conditions diagnosed. Intussusception was more common in young dogs than in adults, but gastric dilatation volvulus was diagnosed only In dogs older than two and a half years. The history of the cases was mainly that of vomiting, inappetance and depression