Subcutaneous emphysema, pneumoperitoneum, and pneumoretroperitoneum after gastrostomy tube placement in a cat

A 17-year-old spayed female domestic shorthair cat developed subcutaneous emphysema, pneumoperitoneum, and pneumoretroperitoneum during endoscopic placement of a gastrostomy feeding tube after gastric insufflation and cannula insertion. The cat underwent exploratory laparotomy to investigate the possibility of gastric rupture but only a 2- to 3-mm defect was found in the gastric fundus at the site of cannula insertion. Pasteurella multocida and Enterobacter spp were cultured aerobically from the peritoneal cavity. The cat recovered without complications.