CHRONIC CECAL FAECOLITHIASIS IN A DOG

A 14-year-old, spayed female Jack Russell terrier with a six month his tory of weight loss, lethargy, intermittent vomition and diarrhoea was diagnosed as having a chronic impaction of the caecum with mineralise d faecal material. Diagnosis was based on the clinical findings and bo th survey and positive contrast radiographic studies. The diagnosis of caecal impaction was confirmed at surgery and a typhlectomy was perfo rmed with the aid of a linear stapler. Histopathology of the caecum co nfirmed the impaction to have resulted from faecolithiasis. The dog ma de a full recovery from the procedure, showing no recurrence of the cl inical signs until euthanasia three months postoperatively for probabl e heart failure associated with mitral regurgitation.