![]() ![]() Your veterinarian will perform a complete physical examination of your dog. If your dog has any abdominal enlargement or is showing signs associated with free-floating fluid in the abdomen, they should be examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible. How Veterinarians Diagnose Ascites in Dogs This is another cause of free-floating blood in the abdomen.Ĭancer: It causes free-floating fluid in the abdomen for a variety of reasons, from a ruptured organ, pressure on major blood vessels, or inflammation due to a tumor-all of which can cause blood or other bodily fluids to cause ascites. Poison: rat poison ingestion can cause a dog’s blood to clot improperly. Peritonitis: this is an infection in the lining of the abdominal wall that can lead to free-floating fluid in the abdomen. Trauma to a dog’s body: can cause organs to burst, leaking fluid into the abdomen urine leaking from the bladder or urinary system causes a uroabdomen and damage to the liver or spleen causes free-floating blood in the abdomen. Proteins: low protein concentrations (decreased albumin) protein losing enteropathy (gastrointestinal protein loss) and protein losing nephropathy (kidney disease) nephrotic syndrome (kidney disease). Liver: chronic liver failure and hepatitis portal hypertension Heart disease: right-sided heart disease (most common cause of free fluid in the abdomen of dogs), right-sided congestive heart failure, heartworm disease, dilated cardiomyopathy, and pulmonic stenosis. ![]() Common primary conditions that cause ascites in dogs are: This secondary condition indicates a more serious primary cause, which should be examined by your veterinarian as soon as possible. Since ascites is an accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, it causes bloating. Some include:ĭiarrhea, increased or decreased frequency of bowel movements With larger amounts of fluid and more serious underlying causes, the symptoms can become more severe. When there are small amounts of fluid in the abdomen, the signs can be the same as with general, and at times can be mild. This can cause the lungs to not be able to expand fully, causing trouble breathing or even respiratory failure. With large amounts of fluid, the abdomen enlarges and pushes on the chest cavity. The amount and type of fluid that accumulates in the abdomen can vary depending on the underlying condition. Ascites is a secondary condition that develops from an underlying medical problem. There are a wide variety of reasons why a dog would develop ascites, most of them related to major organ failure within the abdomen or from other areas of the body. When a dog has ascites, these organs are free-floating in the abdomen. The abdomen contains important organs such as the liver, pancreas, stomach, intestines, spleen, and urinary bladder, with little to no fluid surrounding them. Ascites, also known as an abdominal effusion or free abdominal fluid, is a serious, possibly life-threatening medical condition in which a dog’s abdomen fills up with fluid. ![]()
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