Chronic caecal faecolithiasis in a dog

A 14-year-old, spayed female Jack Russell terrier with a six month history of weight loss, lethargy, intermittent vomition and diarrhoea was diagnosed as having a chronic impaction of the caecum with mineralised faecal material. Diagnosis was based on the clinical findings and both survey and positive contrast radiographic studies. The diagnosis of caecal impaction was confirmed at surgery and a typhlectomy was performed with the aid of a linear stapler. Histopathology of the caecum confirmed the impaction to have resulted from faecolithiasis. The dog made a full recovery from the procedure, showing no recurrence of the clinical signs until euthanasia three months postoperatively for probable heart failure associated with mitral regurgitation.