Abdominal exploratory surgery is often used in treating pets. This procedure is a very common type of treatment in the animal health care field. A number of causes can lead to this type of surgery. For instance, the procedure is often done when a dog swallows a foreign object.
It can also be performed in the cases of cancer, intussusception, or bloating, or to obtain a biopsy. Various diagnostic tests are undertaken before an abdominal exploratory is performed so that the health problem can be pinpointed and assessed.
Lab Work and Exams
As a beginning point, animal health care professionals perform blood work to find out if there are any kidney, liver, pancreas, or electrolyte abnormalities. A complete blood cell count is taken to find signs of anemia or infection. X-rays are also used to indicate any gastrointestinal tract issues. Unfortunately, in many cases, x-rays only indicate a problem but do not provide a definitive answer. Therefore, additional tests are frequently needed, such as a contrast radiograph or ultrasound.
A Therapeutic and Diagnostic Procedure
In the animal health care field, an abdominal exploratory is both a therapeutic and diagnostic procedure. Usually, vomiting is the main sign displayed in diseases affecting the GI tract. If no apparent problem is found with the animal’s internal organs, then a biopsy will often reveal what is creating the clinical signs of a disease. Fortunately, most abdominal explanatories reveal a surgically correctable ailment.
Disease Indicators
Again, vomiting is the primary indicator of a GI disease. Ingestion of a foreign body, for example, almost always leads to acute vomiting. Chronic signs, such as diarrhea or intermittent vomiting, are often due to cancer or an inflammatory bowel disease. Weight loss is also an issue in chronic GI illnesses. While ingested foreign bodies frequently occur in young animals, cancer is more common in aging pets.
Frequently, the decision to perform an abdominal exploratory is based on ultrasonic assessment or radiographs. In many instances, these tests indicate a specific issue involving the intestines or stomach. The surgery is performed to verify the suspicion so that the problem can be fixed. Visit Vetassociatesbodman.com today and learn more about the range of services provided. You can also follow them on Google+.
