In our daily life, a lot of things can happen to our furbabies, whether it is caused by them accidentally getting contacted with other cats outside that carry viruses or other illnesses or accidents that have happened to them in the past. That is why, we, as pawrents always try to be around them when we take them outside to just hang out or walk them to avoid unwanted things that could happen to our furbabies. However, did you know that scars of accidents that have occurred in the past could still lead to a serious illness, which requires serious treatment and possibly immediate surgery.
(Instagram: Kaya.and.eve)
This is Eve, she is a beautiful rescue cat living in Sydney, Australia, she used to be a stray, a very kind pawtential pawrents decided to adopt her when she was at a very young age. That is how lucky Eve is. However, unfortunate things used to happen in the past when she was still a stray and was still at a very young age, most likely she got hit by a car in the past. Due to the accident that happens to her, now it affected her health and she has to face a diaphragmatic hernia. She has limited lung capacity, what causes it, is because her abdominal organs and fat shifted around and moved.
What is a diaphragmatic hernia and what caused it?
Diaphragmatic hernia is a tear or disruption of a thin muscle inside the organ, some cases of a diaphragmatic hernia could develop when cats are still a kitten due to a defective development as a fetus in the womb. However, such things are rare cases to happen. A most common case that leads to diaphragmatic hernia is due to blunt force trauma such as a fall from a high place (e.g window from 2nd floor or 3rd-floor apartment), a car accident, or a blow to the abdomen. A cat that has a diaphragmatic hernia has a high possibility of its inner organs such as; the intestines, stomach, and liver may enter the chest.
Are there any special signs of cats with a diaphragmatic hernia?
The answer to this is no, cause the signs are dependable on what happened in the past with the cat itself and it may vary. However, the most visible sign which happens to most cats with diaphragmatic hernia is that their cats have difficulty with breathing. In this case such as Evie, she has difficulty with breathing, and her lung does not work normally or at their full capacity.
Is there any way I can find out if my cat has a diaphragmatic hernia?
Yes, there is a way for you to find out if your cat has a diaphragmatic hernia! take them to the vet and ask them to do a laboratory check whether it is a urine or blood check. Do an x-ray check as well to see if you and the vet can find anything that shows signs of diaphragmatic hernia symptoms that did not get caught by the laboratorium check. Some vets will do an ultrasound check as well. However, that depends on the end results.
Is there a way for me to treat my cat that has a diaphragmatic hernia?
Yes! in most cases surgery is the only way to treat your cat with a diaphragmatic hernia. When you take them to the vet usually the vet will perform a chest tap to
get rid of the fluid inside of your cat's chest. Once, the vet managed to get rid of the fluid they will perform surgery on your cat immediately. But why immediately? doing surgery at the early stages is to prevent your cat's inner organs from going inside the chest of your cat.
I hope the information that we share regarding diaphragmatic hernia is really useful and could help you understand more about the illness and what causes it. And, help you to prevent or avoid it from happening to your cat. You can lend help to Eve by reaching out to her Instagram @Kaya.and.eve