Has anyone ever had a cat vet an abdomen xray and show the intestines as all white? The vet suspects IBD or cancer but she was surprised by the xray. No identifiable lumps, but something is causing the abnormal xray. We r treating for IBD but if anyone else has seen this advice is greatly appreciated.
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Abnormal xray
- Thread starter sparrow1
- Start Date
Just bumping this in case it got missed the first time around.
Is your Vet talking to other Vets in the area to get their take on the results? Maybe they could even call the nearest School of Veterinary Medicine and have them take a look , since they are usually up on all the latest things.
Do she repeat the Xray just in case?
Is your Vet talking to other Vets in the area to get their take on the results? Maybe they could even call the nearest School of Veterinary Medicine and have them take a look , since they are usually up on all the latest things.
Do she repeat the Xray just in case?
Your vet should send the x ray to a veterinary radilogist for an opinion. I think most regular vets can read a simple x ray but more complex and hard to read x ray may need a someone who has been trained in radiology and reading x rays. Veterinary schools are a good rseource of info and expertise. There may be a local veterinary radiologist in your area. You can check here and ask your vet to consult with one: http://www.acvr.org/public/search
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- #4
She didn't offer to send it to a radiologist. Her instructions were that if he gets better with meds then it was IBD... if he doesn't get better by the time the medicine is gone or if he gets worse then I need to call back... sounded simple enough at the time but now I feel like I don't really understand how the xray could be so strange. Maybe I need to go over it again with her... or look for a radiologist.
Sometimes you have to insist and demand specific care and treatment for your pet, not just go along with what the vet says. You are free to seek out a vet radiologist on your own to get an opinion. Be sure to bring copies of your cat's medical records and x rays with you.
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- #6
I am a consultant physician in internal human medicine, not a vet, but I have been reading X-Rays since the early 1950's. X-Rays of cats are taken in the same technical way as they are in humans, except that the whole animal can be seen on one plate. A feline or human medical X-Ray is a negative film with dense calcified areas, like bones, appearing white and gas in the intestines appearing black.
One explanation that I could think of for white intestines on an X-Ray is a barium meal or barium enema. Another is that you were looking at a positive film with bones appearing black and gas in the intestines being white - but why anybody should present the vet with such a positive film escapes me!
Incidentally, I doubt that any vet would consider cancer as a diagnosis just by looking at an X-Ray alone. The veterinarian, like a human doctor, would examine the cat and take a history of the cat's illness from you before venturing any diagnosis.
With best wishes,
Geoffrey
One explanation that I could think of for white intestines on an X-Ray is a barium meal or barium enema. Another is that you were looking at a positive film with bones appearing black and gas in the intestines being white - but why anybody should present the vet with such a positive film escapes me!
Incidentally, I doubt that any vet would consider cancer as a diagnosis just by looking at an X-Ray alone. The veterinarian, like a human doctor, would examine the cat and take a history of the cat's illness from you before venturing any diagnosis.
With best wishes,
Geoffrey
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- #8
Thank you for your thoughts Geoffrey, To clarify, the rest of the xray was normal. Bones were white, organs seemed intact, but the intestines were also whitish, no poop, no gas, just "fluid"??? I was able to speak to 3 different vet's about this, and they all agreed, IBD or cancer. They did encourage me to ultrasound but the cost has me waiting on that. Any other thoughts are welcome. One question, if his intestinal walls had become fibrous would that explain the color?
We may be speaking at cross-purposes about the whiteness of the intestines. I thought that you meant that the X-Ray appearances of the intestines, small and large, was a uniform white. This is incorrect as liquids are usually white on an X-Ray. The normal human small intestines are filled with fluid and liquid faeces and often some gas and usually show up as a pale mottled white appearance, less lighter than if the intestine was filled with only liquid. There would be faeces in the large intestine, showing as white on an X-Ray, but usually with a dark, or black mottled appearance due to gas mixed with the faeces. However, and obviously, any comment on the appearances, made by me without seeing the X-Ray, has to be suspect and the opinion of the vet, who has seen the X-Ray, is much more valuable than mine!
I am unsure what you mean by "fluid"???. The normal human intestines would always have fluid in them but this would be whitish on the average X-Ray, the degree of white depending on how much solid faecal material and gas, is mixed with the liquid.. Fluid levels, meaning horizontal levels of fluid, suggests intestinal obstruction; this is so well known that nearly every vet would recognise it and the cat would be in pain and vomiting copiously..
When you mentioned that three vets considered irritable bowel disease or cancer, did they say which organ the cancer, if it was cancer, would affect? And of course such a diagnosis must also take into consideration the symptoms of the cat and the findings on examination. (By the way, instead of trying to puzzle out the X-Ray appearances by yourself, you could always ask your vet what the X-Ray appearances mean. After all you have paid enough for the X-Ray
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You wrote: <One question, if his intestinal walls had become fibrous would that explain the color?>
The short answer is 'No'! You can see fibrous intestinal walls on a plain abdominal X-Ray as an outline of the intestine, but this is very rare in humans. and I cannot comment on cats, except that such an animal would be likely to be most unwell! The degree of white appearance on the X-Ray would depend on the contents of the intestine.
With best wishes,
Geoffrey
I am unsure what you mean by "fluid"???. The normal human intestines would always have fluid in them but this would be whitish on the average X-Ray, the degree of white depending on how much solid faecal material and gas, is mixed with the liquid.. Fluid levels, meaning horizontal levels of fluid, suggests intestinal obstruction; this is so well known that nearly every vet would recognise it and the cat would be in pain and vomiting copiously..
When you mentioned that three vets considered irritable bowel disease or cancer, did they say which organ the cancer, if it was cancer, would affect? And of course such a diagnosis must also take into consideration the symptoms of the cat and the findings on examination. (By the way, instead of trying to puzzle out the X-Ray appearances by yourself, you could always ask your vet what the X-Ray appearances mean. After all you have paid enough for the X-Ray
You wrote: <One question, if his intestinal walls had become fibrous would that explain the color?>
The short answer is 'No'! You can see fibrous intestinal walls on a plain abdominal X-Ray as an outline of the intestine, but this is very rare in humans. and I cannot comment on cats, except that such an animal would be likely to be most unwell! The degree of white appearance on the X-Ray would depend on the contents of the intestine.
With best wishes,
Geoffrey
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- #10
The xray was explained as since the intestines were uniformly white that they were filled with fluid, no gas, no feces, but no expansion for fluid to fill the small intestines. All the vets were stumped by this and based on other symptoms said IBD. However the rapid weight loss and the uncertainty of if these medications are working made then also consider cancer.
@sparrow1 I would definitely insist on your Vet sending the x-ray, and I hope there was one more film taken from front to back, in addition to the side one, to a Radiologist for an Official interpretation... If it is such a quandary to the Vets in the office, then I strongly feel it needs to be "officially read'"... I would demand it..
The x-ray can be sent directly, or it can be sent by computer link....
You deserve to find out!!
