Introduction

Question 1

Name some clinical signs of gastric and oesophageal disease

Answer 1

• Vomiting
• Regurgitation
• Nausea
• Poor appetite
• Increased appetite
• Abdominal pain
• Abdominal distension
• Weight loss

Question 2

What are the indications for endoscopy?

Answer 2

• Suspected oesophageal obstruction
• foreign body
• radiopaque (bone)
• radiolucent/soft tissue opacity (potato, dog chew)
• stricture
• mass lesions: rare in dogs and cats
• intraluminal
• benign: leiomyoma, extra medullary plasmacytoma
• malignant: squamous cell or adenocarcinoma
• paraoesophageal (compressing or invading the oesophagus)
• thyroid carcinoma
• heart base tumour
• thymoma/mediastinal lymphoma
• Pain associated with eating when no oral lesions identified (and no response to symptomatic treatment)
• oesophageal ulceration?
• Suspected gastric foreign body
• Severe haematemesis with no coagulopathy identified as the cause
• gastric ulceration?
• Chronic vomiting likely to be of gastrointestinal origin

Question 3

When do you avoid endoscopy?

Answer 3

• Damage to the patient
  
  • lubricate the scope
  • gentle manipulation- never force the scope
  • beware of overinflating the gut
  • cardiovascular compromise – block the vena cava
  • anaesthetic complications
• Damage to the scope
  
  • keep the scope straight/gentle bend only
  • do not drop the scope
  • care when using biopsy forceps – must be closed going through the scope! Open outside the scope and then close to bring back in.
  • careful cleaning and aftercare

Question 4

Label

Answer 4

A) Oesophageal sphincter

B) Fundus

C) Carpus

D) Pylorus

E) Pyloric sphincter

F) Cardia

Question 5

What are the pros and cons of endoscopy?

Answer 5