Gastroesophageal intussusception with gastric perforation in a Caracal (Caracal caracal): A case report

Gastroesophageal intussusception (GEI) is a rare and often fatal condition in felids characterised by the invagination of the stomach into the caudal oesophagus. We report GEI with focal gastric perforation in a 10-year-old male caracal (Caracal caracal) submitted for necropsy after recent episodes of vomiting. Gross examination revealed marked oesophageal distension, gastric intussusception into the caudal oesophagus, a perforating gastric ulcer and brittle skeletal bones suggestive of a dietary aetiology. No ante-mortem imaging was performed and histopathology of the intussuscepted gastric tissue was not available, which is acknowledged as a limitation. To our knowledge, this is the first documented GEI in a caracal. The case highlights a rare pathology in a wild felid species, diagnostic limits of postmortem recognition of predisposing factors (e.g., transient hiatal hernia), the possible contribution of vomiting and underscoring the need for ancillary diagnostics and further investigation in exotic felids.