Peripatetic Endoscopy

Endoscopy involves the use of an endoscope (a small camera mounted on a thin probe) to look inside organs which could otherwise be very difficult to inspect.

Veterinary endoscopy is a constellation of minimally invasive medical techniques involving the use of both flexible and rigid camera systems to examine, diagnose and treat various conditions affecting the inside of an animal’s body. 

Upper GI endoscopy, often referred to as ‘endoscopy’, ‘gastroscopy’ or ‘oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy’, is a procedure that allows the veterinary surgeon to directly examine the lining of the upper part of the GI tract. The upper GI tract consists of the oesophagus, the stomach, the duodenum and the first part of the jejunum.

A flexible tube with a camera and a light source, about the thickness of your little finger, is placed into your pet’s mouth and then into the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum. 

Upper GI endoscopy is performed to evaluate the signs and attempt to identify/exclude the causes of persistent regurgitation, acute and chronic vomiting, difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), blood in the vomit (haematemesis), diarrhoea and weight loss. It is an excellent minimally invasive alternative to traditional surgery for investigating the cause of bleeding from the upper GI tract. Endoscopy tends to be more accurate than abdominal imaging (e.g. radiography and ultrasonography) for detecting inflammation (redness), bleeding, ulcers, tumours and blunted intestinal villi (finger-like projections that increase the surface area of the intestine for the absorption of food).

Minimally invasive diagnostics:

Endoscopy can be used to obtain biopsy samples using specialised instruments known as biopsy forceps. Biopsy samples are routinely obtained during endoscopic examinations as many conditions can only be diagnosed in a laboratory by analysing tissue specimens. Biopsy samples from suspicious areas can be useful for distinguishing between cancerous and non-cancerous conditions.

Lower GI endoscopy, often referred to as ‘ileoscopy and colonoscopy’, is a procedure that allows the veterinary surgeon to directly examine the lining of the lower part of the GI tract. 

A flexible tube with a camera and a light source, about the thickness of your little finger, is placed into your pet’s rectum to examine the last part of the colon (rectum and descending colon), the middle colon (transverse colon), the first part of the colon (ascending colon) and the ileocolic sphincter (the valve that separates the last part of the small intestine from the colon).

Colonoscopy and ileoscopy are performed to evaluate the signs and attempt to identify/exclude the causes of persistent diarrhoea, weight loss, low vitamin B12 levels, excessive mucus, straining to defaecate and blood in the faeces (haematochezia). 

Rhinoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that allows the veterinary surgeon to directly examine the back of the nose (nasopharynx) and the nasal cavities. 

A rhinoscope is a small endoscope with a camera and a light source. A rigid rhinoscope can be inserted into each nostril to view the nasal passages and sinuses. A flexible endoscope can also be inserted into the mouth and up over the soft palate in a retroflexed position (bent back on itself) to examine the nasopharynx. 

Rhinoscopy can be used to confirm the cause of persistent and uncontrolled sneezing, reverse sneezing, chronic nasal discharge (unilateral or bilateral), snoring (stertor) and unexplained nose bleeds (epistaxis). Rhinoscopy can also be used to obtain biopsy samples using specialised instruments known as biopsy forceps. These samples can be submitted to a laboratory for bacterial culture and sensitivity testing. Biopsy samples may also be useful for distinguishing between cancerous and inflammatory conditions.

Otoendoscopy (video-otoscopy) is a procedure that allows the veterinary surgeon to directly examine the ears. An otoscope is a small rigid endoscope with a camera and a light source. The otoscope is passed into the ear canal with the patient either conscious as a ‘dry’ procedure or, more commonly, under general anaesthesia with the assistance of fluid irrigation to examine the ear canal and ear drum (tympanic membrane).

Otoendoscopy is performed to evaluate the signs and attempt to identify/exclude the causes of persistent ear infections, polyps, ear drum rupture, head tilt, wobbly gait, nystagmus (abnormal side-to-side eye movement) and Horner’s syndrome (droopy eyelid, small pupil, dry eye). It is an excellent minimally invasive alternative to traditional surgery for investigating and treating many ear conditions. 

Minimally invasive diagnostics:

Otoendoscopy can be used to obtain biopsy samples or fine-needle aspirates. Samples are routinely obtained during endoscopic examinations and can be submitted to a laboratory for analysis. Otoendoscopy can also be used to help exclude underlying conditions leading to chronic ear disease as it permits for therapeutic flushing to allow a highly magnified and illuminated visual assessment of the ear compared with handheld otoscopes.

Urethrocystoscopy is a procedure that allows the veterinary surgeon to directly examine the urethra, bladder and openings of the ureters.

Urethrocystoscopy is performed to evaluate the signs and attempt to identify/exclude the causes of persistent blood in the urine, straining to urinate, repeated urinary tract infections and incontinence.

Minimally invasive diagnostics:

Samples are routinely obtained during endoscopic examinations and can be submitted to a laboratory for culture and sensitivity testing, cytology and histopathology. Biopsy samples or fine-needle aspirates from suspicious areas can be useful for distinguishing between cancerous and non-cancerous conditions. In addition, identifying the location where the ureters (the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys) enter the bladder can help identify the cause of urinary incontinence (e.g. an ectopic ureter is one that opens into the urethra rather than the bladder).