A young cat was presented to us at West Midlands Veterinary Referrals for closure of an oro-nasal fistula – a permanent hole between the mouth and the nose. It was uncertain how this had originated but trauma from another animal’s canine tooth during a bite was a possibility.
Repair of the hole had been attempted before but had unfortunately not been successful. Food was able to enter the nose and cause a chronic discharge. A flap of tissue was elevated and folded over to cover the hole. The caudal (back) edge of this was reinforced with an advancement flap. The wound was protected from food for a couple of weeks post-op with a feeding tube.
