Gastric dilatation and volvulus in a Siberian Tiger
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A 10 year old, male Amur tiger was found dead the morning of August 1, 2011. The week before his death, he showed signs of behavior change and aggression. The next morning, he ate less than one third of his normal meal, and was later found dead. On gross examination, the lesions in the stomach and duodenum were suggestive of gastric volvulus. The mucosa of the stomach near the esophagus was torn, however it was unclear from necropsy if the tear was pre- or post-mortem. The stomach was friable and there was no tissue reaction on the serosa, suggesting the tear was expanded during tissue handling. Histology confirmed acute gastric and duodenal coagulative necrosis, though in contrast, the remainder of the gastrointestinal tract was within normal limits. All findings are highly suggestive, although not diagnostic, of gastric torsion. Gastric dilatation-volvulus is not frequently reported in large cats and risk factors in these species are not well known.
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Seminar SF610.1 2012