General Principles of Gastrointestinal Surgery

Pre-op assessment

Signalment may give clues

– Young dogs FB’s

– Old animals tumours

– Some signalments may suggest a specific disease eg a middle aged Shih Tzu with chronic vomiting may increase the suspicion of pyloric outflow obstruction

History

– Acute/chronic

– Frequency A complete obstruction of the GI tract may cause frequent vomiting (several times per hour) and an acute history is found with foreign bodies, for instance. Increasing listlessness may suggest a worsening systemic state, such as developing hypovolaemic shock.

Physical examination

This should be aimed at looking for the cause of the presenting disease, and checking for any secondary effects of the disease.

– Assess for dehydration

– Hypovolaemic shock

– Check mouth for linear FB around teeth

– Abdominal palpation – tenderness, intussusception, FB […]