Outcomes of Isocalothorax Resulting from Nasogastric Tube Misplacement in Two Dogs and One Cat

Nasogastric tubes (NGTs) are used in critical care to provide early enteral nutrition to reduce mortality and morbidity. Compared with other feeding tubes, NGTs are inexpensive and easy to place without delaying provision of enteral nutrition. In addition, NGTs are used to monitor gastric motility and reduce the risk of aspiration pneumonia. Despite their versatility, there are complications associated with their use. This report presents three cases of isocalothorax in animals resulting from inadvertent placement of NGTs into the respiratory tract. Two dogs were treated surgically; one survived to discharge and one died. One cat survived to discharge with medical management. Few reports in veterinary literature describe complications of misplaced NGTs. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of successful medical management in a cat with isocalothorax. This report highlights complications of NGT misplacement and offers possible management strategies in cases of isocalothorax.