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| Can you see the air gun pellet in this x-ray? |
Occasionally when
we radiograph animals, we stumble across incidental lesions, also referred to
as “incidentalomas”. They’re not related to the current disease state but can
indicate a previous disease or injury. Unfortunately, one not uncommon
incidentaloma in cats is the air rifle pellet or slug.
Take Fluffy (not
his real name), a cat I was investigating for an ongoing cough. This lovely cat
used to live in a peri-urban area where, as it happened, someone in the
neighbourhood with a distinct lack of empathy decided to use him for target
practice. His thoracic radiographs revealed the presence of an air rifle slug. Such
wanton cruelty is pathetic and objectionable, but this isn’t a one-off case.
I’ve seen other cats with the same radiographic findings.
In a case series
published in the Journal of FelineMedicine and Surgery, metal projectiles were found in 2.1 per cent of cats.
That may not sound so high, but think about it. That’s two in every hundred
cats with a deliberately inflicted injury. Almost 40 per cent of these cats
suffered fractures as a result, but many did not show signs. Two-fifths or 38.5
per cent of cases in which metal projectiles were found on radiography were incidental
findings. The majority (80 per cent) of projectiles were from air guns. Many
cats had multiple projectiles, with almost one third of cats having metal
projectiles in two or more body regions.
This study looked at cases presenting to a teaching hospital during the
2012-2014 period. But the authors noted that not much has changed since a 1970
study, which found a prevalence of 1.7 per cent.
“The difference of
44 years between these publications and the changes in shotgun regulations that
have occurred in this period appear to have made little difference,” they
write. Disappointing to say the least.
Perpetrators may
shoot cats thinking that the harm they do is minimal. This is incorrect. Air gun
pellets can reach velocities comparable with other handguns, particularly when
fired at close range They are responsible for catastrophic injuries to humans
as well, with many eye enucleations (removals) and some fatalities attributed
to air guns.
Another risk is
that un-diagnosed metal projectiles present a major risk to animals undergoing
advanced imaging. If you’ve had an MRI you’ll have been asked to remove all
jewellery, report any kind of surgical implant or prosthesis and empty out your
pockets. This is because the M in MRI stands for magnetic, and the magnetic
field is so strong that metal inside you will migrate – damaging tissue as it
does so. The authors argue that the prevalence of metal projectiles in cats is
high enough to warrant full-body radiographs in any cat undergoing an MRI.
Acts of cruelty
towards animals in Australia can be reported to the RSPCA, the Animal Welfare
League or the police, all of whom can prosecute offenders under the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals Act (or similar) in their State or Territory.
