ESOPHAGEAL STRICTURE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT BY ENDOSCOPY IN DOG: CASE REPORT

Abstract

Endoscopy is a diagnosis method par excellence because it is secure, fast and non-invasive, leading to benefits not reached by other diagnosis methods in several digestive system diseases. Esophageal stricture usually occurs secondary to esophagitis that results in deep scar tissue formation. The main clinical sign is regurgitation, usually right after feed intake. Diagnosis is supported by medical record, clinical signs, esophagogram and esophagoscopy. A 10-year-old mongrel dog presented dry food regurgitation, which bad began one year earlier, after a surgical intervention, during which abundant gastric reflux was observed. Through esophagoscopy stricture and fibrous rings at the thoracic esophagus were observed. We opted to perform the treatment for esophageal stricture by endoscopy using dilatation candles. This procedure was carried out once a week and it took six weeks. The dog got better day by day, and at the end of the treatment, it already fed itself on wet diet, without presenting regurgitation. The improvement in its health was constant and the patient fed itself on dry diet again. Acquired results indicate endoscopy as an efficient tool to esophageal stricture diagnosis and treatment in dogs.

KEYWORDS: Dog, endoscopy, esophageal stricture, regurgitation.