Gastroscopy
The purpose of endoscopic examination is to help your veterinarian make a diagnosis of the disease that has been causing your pet’s clinical signs of vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, abdominal pain or swelling, or loss of appetite.
Gastrointestinal Endoscopy in Dogs and Cats
Many gastrointestinal disorders are acute and self-limiting but there are a number of patients in which chronic vomiting and/or diarrhea and/or weight loss are persistent problems. Specific diagnosis in these patients is desirable in order to give as accurate a prognosis as possible and also to allow appropriate therapy to be prescribed.
Specific diagnosis of many gastrointestinal disorders is frequently time-consuming, invasive and expensive, and clinicians are continually on the lookout for improvements. Flexible fiberoptic endoscopy and videoendoscopy have revolutionized our approach to diagnosis in that they permit direct observation of the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract, thorough non-invasive evaluation of potential lesions, and specific diagnosis by mucosal biopsy. Foreign body removal is also possible and follow-up evaluations permit assessment of the response to therapy.
Gastrointestinal endoscopy is indicated in any patient with signs of regurgitation, vomiting, hematemesis, dysphagia, melena, hematochezia, tenesmus or diarrhea. It is also indicated when there are abnormal but not diagnostic radiographic findings, or when screening tests such as serum cobalamin, folate or trypsin-like immunoreactivity indicate the presence of gastrointestinal disease. Prior to endoscopy conventional basic tests (such as a complete blood count and serum biochemical evaluation, urinalysis and fecal examination for evidence of parasitism) should be performed. Animals should be de-wormed and treated for possible occult giardiasis, and trial dietary modification may be warranted prior to more extensive investigations.
A number of gastrointestinal disorders occur in dogs and cats, obtaining tissue samples (biopsies) from the stomach and/or intestine for analysis can provide a diagnosis and guide treatment.
There are many conditions that indicate that a biopsy of the stomach and intestine should be performed. The vet caring for your pet will discuss the potential benefits of biopsy with you if they feel that this could be a beneficial part of the diagnostic investigations.
It may be sufficient to obtain superficial biopsies from the lining of the stomach and intestine with the guidance of a camera (endoscopic biopsy) however there are limitations to this approach meaning surgical biopsies may also be needed.
It is also particularly important to remember that intestinal biopsies from some patients with small intestinal disease may not exhibit morphologic abnormalities on routine light microscopic examination. In many cases the underlying problem is a functional one in the intestinal mucosa, and so tests of intestinal function may be required to confirm the presence of malabsorption.
It is strongly recommended that prior to, or in association with, endoscopic examination, functional tests for malabsorption be performed, specifically, assays of serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity, cobalamin and folate. This combined functional and morphologic approach to diagnosis is most likely to lead to accurate diagnosis and effective therapy.
The endoscope provides a full-colour view of the oesophagus, stomach, and upper part of the small intestine or colon. The examiner can identify abnormalities such as inflammation, abnormal swelling, masses, and areas of scarring or stricture (abnormal narrowing). If a foreign body is present, it can usually be seen and retrieved (e.g., a bone, stick, rock, toy, coin, or fabric).
Common gastrointestinal diseases than can be diagnosed with gastroscopy:
– Oesophageal / gastric foreign bodies
– Gastritis
– Gastric / duodenal ulceration
– Cancerous and non cancerous masses
– Inflammatory disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease and lymphangiectasia
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