Herniation of Stomach Through Diaphragm
- May be congenital or aquired (e.g. after road accident)
Clinical
- Causes respiratory distress over several days.
Pathogenesis
- Common following road traffic accidents in smaller dogs and cats
- Sudden rise in intra-abdominal pressure ruptures diaphragm, allowing stomach to pass into thorax.
- Also results from kick or severe blow to abdomen
- Diaphragm splits and stomach forced into thorax.
Pathology
- Abdominal viscera present in thoracic cavity.
- Flow of ingesta is disturbed.
- Thorax is distended and lungs collapse.
- There is a good chance of recovery if the condition is caught reasonably early (before adhesions begin to form).
- The damage can be repaired.