What is endoscopy?
An endoscope is simply explained as a flexible tube with a light and a mirror/camera at the end. An endoscopic examination gives us the opportunity to examine the body's various cavities. Via natural openings, you can examine the nasal cavity and respiratory tract, stomach and intestines, as well as the urinary tract and bladder. In addition to examinations where you enter natural openings, you can create an opening to inspect, for example, joints and abdomen/stomach. Endoscopes come in different versions and have different properties depending on what you want to examine and what you want to do. Most have a working channel where you can insert different instruments for, for example, sampling and small operations. At A-Vet Smådyrklinikk we perform simple endoscopic examinations and will eventually expand our offering.
In the text below you can read a brief description of the different examinations that can be performed. If there is a need for an examination that we cannot offer, we will refer the patient further.
Table of contents
Some important endoscopic examinations
Rhinoscopy
Examination of the nasal cavity. This may be relevant for examination of the nasal cavity in case of persistent sneezing, runny nose etc.
Heard about cats getting blades of grass stuck in their throats/noses? It is actually not an unusual problem in cats. In most cases, the straw is caught in the throat, and other times out of the nose, but in some cases it is necessary to enter the nose with an endoscope and grasp it with forceps via the working canal.
The cat Bastian had grass in his nose
In the following clip, we were presented with the cat Bastian, who according to his owner had been sneezing for many weeks. Bastian had previously had his nose and throat examined under anesthesia without finding anything. When the sneezing persisted, it was decided that a rhinoscopy should be performed. During a rhinoscopy, a very thin cable is inserted, the end of which can be controlled and which contains a small mirror/camera, light and a working channel to insert various tools out to the other end, in this case forceps were used. After an extensive search in one of the cat's nostrils, we found something green and managed to grab it and pull it out in its entirety! It was a blade of grass that was approx. 4–5 cm long!
Bronchoscopy in animals
Bronchoscopy is an examination of the airways in cases of persistent cough or other respiratory disorders. It is also possible to take samples for cultivation of bacteria or fungi.
Gastroscopy in dogs and cats
Gastroscopy is an examination of the esophagus, stomach, and first part of the small intestine. This procedure is often used for sampling and tissue samples in addition to visual inspection. A current example is also the removal of foreign objects. Dogs tend to eat things they shouldn't more often than cats, and with the help of gastroscopy, the object can be retrieved again.
Cystoscopy
Cystoscopy is an examination of the urethra and bladder from the inside.
Laparoscopy
Laparoscopy is a peephole examination of the abdomen and stomach. The examination can be done both as part of an extended medical evaluation and to perform certain surgical procedures such as sterilization. One to three small holes are made through which an endoscope and instruments are inserted.
Arthroscopy
Arthroscopy is an examination of joints that is widely used for the treatment of various joint disorders.
