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Background: Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) is a quaternary ammonium compound (QAC), that can be found in a wide variety of household products–from disinfectants to medicaments and home fragrances–but also professional products. In pets, cats have long been reported as more sensitive than dogs to QACs; in fact, signs of irritation such as oral ulcerations, stomatitis and pharyngitis can be observed after contact with concentrations of 2% or lower. In a review of 245 cases of BAC exposure in cats, reported by the Veterinary Poisons Information Service (United Kingdom) only 1.2% of the cases died or were euthanized. Nevertheless, BAC toxidromes in cats can result in transitory CNS and respiratory distress, as well as severe mucosal and cutaneous lesions. Currently, only a few reports are available concerning BAC poisoning in this species. Case presentation: A 4 month-old kitten presented with severe glossitis, lameness in the hindlimbs and episodes of vomiting and diarrhoea. The cause was unknown until the owners reported use of a BAC-containing mould remover (5%) 4 days later. The patient developed severe oral burns requiring a pharyngeal tube for feeding and severe cutaneous chemical burns. The kitten was managed with supportive therapy and required hospitalization for 10 days. The symptoms disappeared completely 3 weeks after exposure. Conclusions: BAC is a very common compound contained in several household and professional products but, to the best of our knowledge, no previous case had been reported in Italy. We hope that this report will help raise awareness on the hazards of BAC products for cats in both domestic and work contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study was to report the first case of antral stenosis in a cat. We have described a clinical case of a 9 months old domestic shorthaired cat referred for persistent and refractory vomiting, anorexia and loss of weight. Ultrasound (US) examination detected a mild gastric distension, mild wall thickening (5mm), severe serosal irregularities and a constriction between the fundus and body. Computed tomography (CT) was then performed: a severe gastric stenosis between the body and antrum with minimum contrast transit was detected and confirmed by flexible endoscopic examination. The antral localization of the stenosis was revealed after a cranial celiotomy and Y-U plastic was necessary to correct the defect. The patient completely recovered after surgery with significant body weight gain and remained in remission throughout a 2-years follow-up. While in human medicine there is evidence of acquired antral stenosis, no information is available about the same lesion in the feline species. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of antral stenosis in cats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]