Why Endoscopy?

ENDOSCOPY: The Non-surgical Way of Foreign Object Removal, and Obtaining a Diagnosis and Treatment of Various Diseases

Our pets supply us with an endless amount of love and affection, as well as many hours of joy and entertainment with their silly antics. Anyone who has a puppy or kitten (or an energetic adult pet) can attest that they are curious, and some of these antics involve swallowing things they should not. Pets will sometimes ingest the strangest things like toys, bones, clothing – including underwear & socks, string, plastic, and even fish hooks! Unfortunately, these objects do not always pass through the intestines, and as a result, obstructions can occur, and without treatment can lead to serious illness and even death. Obstructions are not the only life threatening consequence if your pet eats something it should not. Did you know that ingestion of just 1 penny made after 1982 can cause acute zinc toxicity as the penny degrades, and can kill a healthy animal?

Endoscopy means looking inside, and typically refers to looking inside the body for medical reasons using an endoscope. An endoscope is an instrument used to examine the interior of a hollow organ or body cavity. There are different types of endoscopes (fiberoptic and video endoscopes) that may be long and bendable, or sometimes rigid – both having flexible tips that allows the veterinarian to actually visualize what’s inside. An endoscope could be used to remove some ingested items from the esophagus, stomach, a small portion of the upper intestines, and even the trachea if the object is accidentally inhaled. Inhaled objects, in some instances, could obstruct your pet’s airway, or potentially migrate to the lungs, causing – as you could imagine, a myriad of health concerns, or even fatality. In the past, a surgical incision was required to remove all foreign objects. However, with medical advancement for both humans and animals, surgery is no longer the only option. Retrieving a foreign object with an endoscope is advantageous because a potentially life threatening obstruction can be removed without surgery, there is no pain or surgical incision, thereby shortening your pet’s period of recovery. Endoscopes also have channels that allow the doctor to pass various tools used to grasp or snare foreign objects. I’m sure we can all agree that endoscopes are wonderful tools for veterinarians, but it has its limitations. They are not able to remove all foreign objects, and your pet may still require surgery. For example, foreign objects stuck in the lower intestines cannot be reached by an endoscope or cats/dogs sometimes have ingested more than one object that has traveled past the stomach and the portion of the upper intestines that can actually be seen with an endoscope, and surgery is still required. However, despite these limitations, endoscopy should be considered to remove foreign objects before going to surgery.

Although retrieving an object our beloved pet has recently ingested is a great reason for an endoscopy, foreign object retrieval is far from its’ primary use. It is an excellent, non-invasive diagnostic tool that acts as the veterinarian’s “eyes” and it is also used for investigating gastrointestinal disorders. Biopsies can also be collected through the endoscope using special instruments, allowing for diagnosis of GI disorders, cancerous growths, polyps, and more. A common reason for endoscopy is to investigate chronic vomiting problems. Colonoscopy (an endoscopic procedure where the tube is inserted into the rectum) can be used to help diagnose large bowel disease. Pets requiring colonoscopy are typically fasted, and given a liquid orally to gently cleanse the colon to make viewing the walls of the intestine easier. Mild anesthesia is typically required to keep your pet relaxed and still during the endoscopic procedure; however, the amount of anesthesia and subsequent recovery time is far less than that required for a major surgical procedure.

Very few veterinarians are trained to perform endoscopic procedures. In fact, according to the October 2010, Volume 22 issue of Veterinary Practice News, “less than 5% of U.S. veterinarians are trained in the modality”. Triangle Veterinary Emergency Clinic (soon to become Triangle Veterinary Referral Hospital) is extremely proud to be among the few hospitals that provide this service. We understand that your pet is a well loved member of your family, and is honored to work alongside your primary veterinarian in their care. Triangle Veterinary Emergency Clinic wishes all of you the best, and if you need us, we are there every step of the way. Please ask us about the other services offered here at TVEC.

Leetrice N. Lynn