Fistula in a cat: causes, how to treat

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Pet owners often have to deal with the he alth problems of their four-legged friends. It is important to be able to help your pet in time. But there are dangerous situations when you simply cannot do without the help of a veterinarian. One of these pathologies is the formation of a fistula in a cat. What is this phenomenon, how to recognize, diagnose and treat it, we will consider in the article.

Fistula in a cat - what is it?

A fistula is a channel connecting cavities or organs with the external environment or with each other. Outwardly, it looks like a purulent wound, liquid oozes out of it, sometimes with the remnants of dead tissue. The smell is fetid.

The consequences of improper treatment of such a pathology are extremely dangerous and can lead to sepsis (blood poisoning), and ultimately to the death of the animal. Therefore, it is important for the owner of a cat to be able to distinguish a fistula from an ordinary wound in order to contact the veterinarian with the animal in time. Self-medication in such a situation is extremely dangerous.

Types of pathology

Veterinarians distinguish between fistulas depending on the causes.

In this case they are:

• Acquired - arise due to injuries, operations and purulent pathologies. For example, fistula after sterilization in cats. It is formed due to a violation of the rules of antisepsis during surgery. Or a fistula after periodontal disease. In this case, the pathological channel is formed by wound tissues. Such fistulas are dangerous for the animal and can lead to its death, therefore, they require urgent treatment.
• Congenital - their formation is caused by malformations of intrauterine development. The channel is lined with epithelial tissue, the biological fluids of the animal (urine, saliva, bile) exit through the hole. More often there is an umbilical fistula. The danger of such a channel is that an infection can easily penetrate through it. The fistula itself is not terrible for the he alth of the cat.

Varieties by place of education

According to the location of the fistula, there are 7 varieties:

• Salivary - located on the cheek of the animal. They arise as a result of inflammation in the area of the teeth, cheeks, salivary glands. Not too life threatening for cats and treatable.
• On the large intestine - appear after an injury or an unsuccessful operation, feces are excreted through them. The decision to treat depends on the condition of the animal.
• Purulent - are formed due to the presence of pus and remove it from the inflamed area. Most often appear on the paws of the animal. Not uncommon in pets.
• Urinary - located on the ureter, bladder, appear as a result of organ damage.
• Intestinal - appear in the intestine due to injury, obstruction. fistulacats on the stomach can be formed after an unsuccessful operation or in the presence of an oncological tumor.
• Biliary - bile is secreted through them due to injury. The most difficult channels to treat.
• Paraanal - appear on the paraanal glands due to prolonged inflammation. In this case, a fistula forms under the cat's tail.

Qualifications depending on structure

It is also worth highlighting the following forms of fistulas:

• Epithelialized. The channel in this case will be smooth, wool may fall out around it.
• Granulation. With this shape, the channel walls will be loose, uneven, extending beyond the wound.
• Labial - in this case, there is no channel. A hollow organ has a hole in the skin.

Diagnosis of pathology

If the owner suspects that the cat has a fistula, you should contact your veterinarian. To make a diagnosis, the doctor will take the following steps:

• external examination, history taking;
• MRI or ultrasound of the affected area;
• biochemical blood test;
• detection of other diseases;
• biopsy (if necessary);
• channel sounding;
• fistulography method - filling the passages with a special substance and taking x-rays.

After examining the animal, the veterinarian will be able to make the correct diagnosis for the cat and prescribe the best treatment for the particular case. It can be operative or conservative, depending on what caused the appearancefistula and what condition the animal is diagnosed with.

How is it different from an abscess?

A fistula in a cat is easy to confuse with an abscess, especially for a person far from veterinary medicine. However, these two phenomena are fundamentally different.

Signs of an abscess:

• swelling at the site of injury;
• redness;
• soreness;
• presence of an infiltrative capsule;
• purulent exudate;
• fluctuation is a symptom due to the presence of fluid in the cavity, manifested by undulating shocks.

Abscess is externally a tubercle from which pus is secreted. If opened, the wound heals.

A fistula looks like a funnel, from which not only pus can be released, but also feces, as well as physiological fluids. Canal cleansing will not happen without treatment. If a fistula is found in a cat, the owner should not engage in self-treatment, but should go to a veterinary clinic. The introduction of any drugs into the fistula can be dangerous to the he alth and life of the animal.

Pathology Therapy

If diagnosed, fistula in cats should be treated as soon as possible. In this case, various methods are used:

• Cleansing the canal from foreign objects that caused inflammation, removal of dead tissue, sanitation of the cavity. This is done surgically, under anesthesia. After the operation, the canal is treated with antiseptic agents daily, until it is completely healed.
• Restoration of the natural outflow of physiological fluid or the creation of a drainage hole. The pathological canal is cleaned and sutured.
• Removal of affected tissues in the fistula with a surgical spoon. This method is used if there is no inflammation, and the fistula has not yet healed. In order for the pathological canal to be overgrown, it must be clean.
• Introduction into the fistula canal of drugs that stimulate tissue healing. This is especially true if the cause of the fistula was trauma. Often in such a situation, the body simply does not have enough strength to heal. With a similar phenomenon, owners of animals aged or cats weakened by chronic diseases occur.
• Canal suturing. This method is used if the fistula is congenital and covered with he althy epithelial tissues. The existing inflammation is treated, the epithelial layer is removed and the tissues are sutured.

At the same time, the animal is prescribed painkillers, if necessary - infusion therapy.

There are times when doctors decide not to touch the fistula. For example, if anesthesia is contraindicated for an animal, or a cat in old age, or suffers from oncology. Then the fistula is treated daily and the condition of the pet is monitored. How exactly to do this, the veterinarian will tell you.

Along with the treatment of the directly pathological area, antibacterial and immunocorrective drugs are also prescribed. How to treat a fistula in a cat is now clear, but the disease is always easier to prevent.

Preventive measures

A pet owner should be attentive to the he alth of their pet. The cat needs regular check-ups. After all, it is easier to cure the disease in the early stages. And in case of fractures or other injuries, it is necessary to monitor how the bones and tissues grow together.

It is important to keep your cat's immunity high. And in this process, high-quality food, rich in vitamins and microelements, plays a far from secondary role. Also, the animal needs an active lifestyle, a comfortable environment. Then the cat's immunity will protect the four-legged from many diseases.

In order to avoid the formation of an anal fistula in cats, it is important to monitor the condition of the paraanal glands. Sometimes they become inflamed. As a rule, domestic cats leading a sedentary lifestyle are susceptible to pathologies. They form a stagnation of secretion in the paired glands located near the anus. Normally, the contents are excreted during defecation. To prevent inflammation, you should periodically clean the glands, freeing them from the accumulated secret. For this purpose, you can also contact a veterinarian.

If the animal has been spayed, postoperative sutures should be carefully processed.