Dropsy in dogs: symptoms and treatment

Dropsy in dogs is a disease caused by a large accumulation of fluid in the abdomen. In healthy individuals, it can also be collected. But the volume of liquid is insignificant.

When it accumulates in a large volume, the functioning of all organs of the abdominal cavity is disrupted, because of this the dog has difficulty in the work of the respiratory system. The dog becomes stunted, quickly becomes tired and loses body weight.

Why does it appear?

Abdominal dropsy in dogs is a manifestation of the disease, and not the disease itself.

Factors of occurrence are different, there are many of them. But we now list the main:

1. Neoplasm.
2. Diseases of the liver.
3. Heart diseases.
4. Kidney disease.
5. Inflammation.

Often in a dog, dropsy of the abdomen appears due to a neoplasm inside it. Increasing in size, it presses on the blood vessels, causing an increase in blood pressure. As a result, there is accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity.

When there is dropsy in dogs, a sudden breakthrough of the tumor is possible, which leads to the exit of the exudate into the abdominal cavity. Another similar formation may be triggered by the release of lymph or poisoning the body with toxic substances.

Other possible causes of the onset of the disease

Also, dropsy of the stomach is caused by liver diseases. Because exactly this body clears the body of incoming toxic substances and produces proteins.

If the liver is sick, then its work is disrupted. This means that in the body more pathogenic microorganisms settle. The liver is no longer able to clean the necessary volume of blood and lymph. Because of this, they stagnate and penetrate through the walls of the vessels into the abdominal cavity, ascites arises.

And as the production of proteins is disrupted, the blood plasma pressure weakens, the fluid no longer holds where it should, eventually exits into the abdominal cavity.

Stagnation of blood can also appear due to a sick heart. As with this phenomenon, there is a release of excess fluid into the stomach.

The kidneys in the body are responsible for the water-salt balance and help the removal of metabolic products like the liver. If the kidneys are healthy, then there are no additional inclusions in the urine, such as protein. But if the tissue is inflamed, then it will be present. The loss of sodium and the delay due to this fluid will soon lead to ascites.

Peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneum, accompanied by the release of free fluid into the abdomen. Because of what over time, it begins to exit into the abdominal cavity.

Dropsy in dogs. Symptoms of the disease

Now consider the symptoms of this disease:

1. Big belly. In full dogs, this is not noticeable. Therefore, no one is focusing their attention on this problem.
2. Because of the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen in dogs, there are difficulties with breathing and shortness of breath.
3. Mucous membranes have a cyanotic shade. If the fluid accumulation is associated with liver disease, the mucous membranes are icteric.
4. The liquid presses the diaphragm and the lungs. Therefore, the dog is forced to sit all the time. Because of dropsy there are edemas. Although they are often a separate disease.
5. If swelling with ascites is observed, then this may indicate hypoalbuminemia or kidney failure.
6. Fluid can accumulate in the pleura.
7. If the dog has high thirst, it goes to the toilet in small portions, then it almost certainly speaks about kidney failure.
8. The dog develops hypodynamia. She becomes listless and indifferent. The animal loses body weight very quickly, it has no appetite, it is drowsy, it hardly moves.
9. The muscles atrophy, but the weight of the dog becomes larger, because there are already a lot of fluids.
10. In ascites, the animal always pulls on nausea due to the presence of the underlying disease (pancreatitis, liver failure, etc.). There are also problems with the gastrointestinal tract and appetite disorder is observed. In addition, you can notice the dog's bad mood, lethargy, unwillingness to do anything. Another symptom is neat movements, inhibited, unnatural. It manifests itself on a walk, when previously the active animal moves reluctantly, it goes slowly, does not frolic, hardly "touches" with its feet, it hardly breathes at the same time.
11. Frequent pulse, dull hair (tangled, crumpled).

The main sign is a frog stomach

When the liquid is recruited slowly, the owners often leave it unattended. They think that the beast simply gets fat or pregnant.

When the liquid comes too quickly, this is also not paid attention, throwing off everything for gluttony, bloating or worming.

But there is a significant difference between all the pathologies mentioned, or, in other words, with ascites, there is a frog-stomach syndrome. With him in the dog's posture on the back, fluid flows from the stomach to the side. When raising a dog, the opposite - down. To the doctor it is necessary to address very quickly, even when it seems that the animal feels great.

The liquid accumulated in the stomach presses on the organs of the peritoneum, the lungs, the heart. Disorder of blood, breathing, digestion. In general, the prognosis is good, especially for young individuals, but bad for the elderly, weakened by the disease. Naturally, the faster you contact a doctor, the more correctly the diagnosis and treatment will be prescribed.

Diagnosis of ascites

How is dropsy diagnosed in dogs? It is necessary to do the following:

1. Conduct a survey of the owner of the animal.
2. Study the symptoms in detail.
3. Blood test.
4. Take liquid from the abdominal cavity for examination.
5. Radiography.
6. Ultrasound.

After assessing the results of the diagnosis, the vet will conclude whether it is a dropsy or not.

Fluid in the abdomen. What is she like?

How to understand what is the fluid in the stomach? To do this, you need to evaluate its smell and color.

If the liquid is the color of light straw, then in 99% it is ascites. If the scarlet color, then it's like blood. The urine has a specific smell and a yellow color.

Liquid milk color - lymph.

If the liquid with an admixture of pus and an unpleasant smell, means, in a stomach there is a purulent inflammation.

The composition of the liquid is divided into:

• Exudate;
• Bloody exudate;
• Transudate;
• Altered transudate.

If it is found out that the liquid is a transudate, then the verdict can be as follows: tumors, worms, disruption of the liver or intestine, portal hypertension, kidneys work with impairments.

If the transudate is changed, then this is likely to indicate heart failure. Although this may be a sign of both tumors and port-systemic hypertension.

Exudate appears due to peritonitis and tumors. If there is blood in it, then this indicates a hemorrhage.

Dropsy in the dog. What to do? Treatment of ascites

Now let's try to understand this issue in detail. If there is a diagnosis of dropsy in dogs, treatment is usually done in a complex manner. Sometimes also resort to symptomatic therapy.

Condensation of fluid is formed as a result of various inflammations in the body. It is necessary to find out the root cause and cure it, and then dropsy itself will disappear.

If the animal's condition is severe, then an emergency operation is needed - laparocentesis. During it, an unnecessary liquid is removed from the abdomen. But this operation does not help for a long time. After all, over time, the liquid accumulates again, its periodic removal leads to a loss of protein in a considerable amount, the condition of the pet worsens significantly.

To make up for the deficiency of the element, the dog is pricked with the albumin drug or simply cleans the withdrawn liquid, after which it is injected back into the body.

After purifying the liquid in 50 ml it is poured with 500 IU of heparin. Then the resulting solution is administered intravenously for 48-72 hours. Sometimes poisonous substances and mycobacteria are found in the liquid. Therefore, the introduction of antibiotic drugs is mandatory. With this treatment the dog's condition improves significantly, and sometimes the recovery comes.

The use of diuretics

Sometimes diuretics are prescribed for removing the liquid. But with potassium, the potassium is excreted in this way. To save it, you need to use special diuretics. But over time they cause an imbalance in the water-electrolyte metabolism. So do not abuse these drugs.

Good results can be achieved with the use of protectors for cardio and liver. They help these organs function normally.

In the diet of the animal should not be salt, and fluid intake should be minimal.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, dog drop is not always amenable to treatment. But the means of complex therapy and the general efforts of the host and the doctor will allow some time to maintain the functioning of the animal's body in a normal state.

To make it easier for a doctor to cure a dropsy from a dog, he should find out about all the diseases that the pet has ever suffered, and also the conditions for keeping it. Often, treatment takes more than one month. At this time, the animal should be provided with peace.