Ascites or dropsy abdominal cavity is a pathological (abnormal) accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity. The amount of fluid can be insignificant and completely unnoticeable to the animal’s owners, or it can be so huge that the dog looks like it’s pregnant and has difficulty walking.
Ascites can form due to leakage of fluid from blood vessels, lymphatic system, internal organs or tumors.
It is important to understand that ascites is not an independent disease, but is always a consequence of some problem.
Causes of ascites in dogs
- Hypoalbuminemia, or a decrease in the level of albumin (proteins) in the blood;
- Severe liver diseases;
- Right-sided heart failure;
- Neoplasms (tumors) in the abdominal cavity;
- Injury;
- Peritonitis (inflammation of the peritoneum - the membrane lining the abdominal cavity from the inside);
- Lymphatic system problems;
- Impaired blood flow through the hepatic vein or caudal vena cava.
Symptoms of ascites in dogs
The following symptoms are not necessarily always present, but may indicate ascites:
- Increased abdominal volume;
- Difficulty breathing or breathing with effort, since a significant amount of fluid can put pressure on the diaphragm and prevent it from participating in the act of breathing;
- Pain in the abdominal area;
- Lethargy of the animal, often the weight and volume of fluid is so great that it is simply difficult and difficult for the dog to move;
- Cough (rare);
- Vomit. Often it may not be a direct consequence of ascites, but may be one of the symptoms of the underlying disease along with abdominal dropsy;
- Fever. Inflammatory processes in the abdominal cavity, leading to ascites, often cause an increase in temperature;
- Anorexia (lack of appetite);
- Cachexia (wasting). Together with a large amount of water, it usually comes out into the ascites fluid. a large number of squirrel, which causes the dog to become thin;
- General weakness.
Diagnosis of ascites in dogs
The detection of fluid, as such, in the abdominal cavity of a dog is not challenging task. If ascites has developed significantly, then the enlargement of the abdomen is visible to the naked eye, and to the touch it is clear that there is fluid in the abdomen. To confirm ascites, a doctor at the clinic may do an ultrasound. In the case where there is little liquid, without ultrasound examination It may be impossible to say with certainty whether there is ascites. In addition, an x-ray can show the presence of fluid in the abdominal cavity. When x-rayed, the fluid creates a so-called ground glass effect - those organs that are usually clearly visible on x-ray, with ascites are not visualized at all or are poorly visualized. The abdominal cavity appears as a gray spot. Therefore, an x-ray is taken after the fluid is drained.
In order to find out the cause of fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity, the following studies are indicated:
- Detailed blood test - clinical and biochemical;
- Analysis of urine;
- X-ray of the abdominal and chest cavities;
- Abdomenocentesis (puncture of the abdominal wall), fluid removal and its analysis - cytological, bacteriological;
- Ultrasonography;
- Echocardiography (ultrasound of the heart).
Treatment of ascites in dogs
The most important thing, of course, is to treat the underlying disease that has led to the accumulation of fluid in the dog's abdominal cavity. For proper treatment underlying disease, it is necessary to make an accurate diagnosis. Elimination of ascites, as such, is a fight against the consequence, not a cure, but it can be vital necessary measure, and sometimes, unfortunately, practically the only possible measure, albeit temporarily, but radically improving the condition of a seriously ill animal. Such events could be:
- Therapeutic abdomenocentesis to remove large amounts of fluid from the abdominal cavity, especially when there is a lot of fluid and it creates compression of the internal organs and diaphragm, making breathing difficult.
- Diuretics (diuretics) to increase fluid excretion.
- Oxygen therapy for animals with breathing problems.
- Intravenous fluids in case of dehydration or shock.
- Blood transfusion.
- Antibiotic therapy if there is an infectious process.
Suction with drained ascites fluid
It is important for owners of a pet with ascites to understand that the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen is a very serious sign, indicating that the pet needs urgent qualified help.
A disease caused by a large accumulation of fluid in the abdomen. It can also accumulate in healthy individuals. But their liquid volume is insignificant.
When it accumulates in large volume, the functioning of all organs of the abdominal cavity is disrupted, because of this the dog has difficulties in working respiratory system. The dog becomes stunted, gets tired quickly and loses body weight.
Why does it appear?
Abdominal hydrops in dogs is a manifestation of the disease, and not the disease itself.
The occurrence factors are different, there are many of them. But we will now list the main ones:
- Neoplasm.
- Liver diseases.
- Heart diseases.
- Kidney diseases.
- Inflammation.
Often a dog develops it due to a tumor inside it. Increasing in size, it puts pressure on the blood vessels, causing a rise blood pressure. As a result, fluid accumulates in the abdominal cavity.
When dropsy occurs in dogs, a sudden rupture of the tumor is possible, which leads to the release of exudate into the abdominal cavity. Another similar formation can be caused by the release of lymph or poisoning of the body with toxic substances.
Other possible causes of the disease
Also, dropsy of the abdomen is caused by liver disease. Because it is this organ that cleanses the body of incoming toxic substances and produces proteins.
If the liver is sick, then its work is disrupted. This means that more pathogenic microorganisms settle in the body. The liver is no longer able to cleanse the required volume of blood and lymph. Because of this, they stagnate and penetrate through the walls of blood vessels into the abdominal cavity, causing ascites.
And since the production of proteins is disrupted, the pressure of the blood plasma weakens, the fluid is no longer retained where it should, and eventually comes out into the abdominal cavity.
Blood stagnation can also occur due to a diseased heart. Since with this phenomenon there is an output excess liquid in the stomach.
The kidneys in the body are responsible for the water-salt balance and help eliminate 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. Loss of sodium and fluid retention due to this will soon lead to ascites.
Peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneum, accompanied by the release of free liquid to the abdominal area. Because of this, over time it begins to exit into the abdominal cavity.
Dropsy in dogs. Symptoms of the disease
Now let's look at the symptoms of this disease:
The main sign is a frog belly
When fluid is collected slowly, owners often ignore it. They think the animal is simply getting fat or pregnant.
When the liquid arrives too quickly, they also do not pay attention to this, blaming it all on gluttony, bloating or worms.
But there is a significant difference between all these pathologies, or, in other words, with ascites there is frog belly syndrome. In the supine dog position, fluid flows from the abdomen to the side. When lifting the dog, vice versa - down. You should consult a doctor very quickly, even when the animal seems to be feeling great.
The fluid accumulated in the abdomen puts pressure on the abdominal organs, lungs, and heart. Disorders of blood flow, breathing, digestion. In general, the prognosis is good, especially for young individuals, but poor for older individuals weakened by the disease. Naturally, the sooner you see a doctor, the more correctly the diagnosis and treatment will be prescribed.
Diagnosis of ascites
How is dropsy diagnosed in dogs? You need to do the following:
- Conduct a survey of the animal owner.
- Study the existing symptoms in detail.
- Blood test.
- Take fluid from the abdominal cavity for testing.
- Radiography.
Having assessed the diagnostic results, the veterinarian will conclude whether it is dropsy or not.
Fluid in the abdomen. What is she like?
How can you tell what kind of fluid is in your stomach? To do this, you need to evaluate its smell and color.
If the liquid is the color of light straw, then 99% of the time it is ascites. If it is scarlet in color, then it is definitely blood. Urine has a specific odor and yellow color.
Milky liquid - lymph.
If the liquid is mixed with pus and has an unpleasant odor, it means there is purulent inflammation in the abdomen.
The composition of the liquid is divided into:
- exudate;
- bloody exudate;
- transudate;
- changed transudate.
If it is determined that the liquid is a transudate, then the verdict may be as follows: tumors, worms, liver or intestinal dysfunction, portal hypertension, kidneys are not working properly.
If the transudate is changed, then this most likely indicates heart failure. Although this may be a sign of both a tumor and portosystemic hypertension.
Exudate appears due to peritonitis and tumors. If there is blood in it, then this indicates hemorrhage.
Dropsy in a dog. What to do? Treatment of ascites
Now let's try to understand this issue in detail. If dropsy is diagnosed in dogs, treatment is usually carried out comprehensively. Sometimes they also resort to symptomatic therapy.
Fluid condensation 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 the dropsy will disappear on its own.
If the animal's condition is serious, then an emergency operation is needed - laparocentesis. During this procedure, unnecessary fluid is removed from the abdomen. But this operation does not help for a long time. After all, over time, the liquid will accumulate again, its periodic removal leads to a significant loss of protein, and the pet’s condition worsens significantly.
To compensate for the deficiency of the element, the dog is injected with the drug “Albumin” or the excreted liquid is simply purified, after which it is reintroduced into the body.
After purifying the liquid, 500 IU of heparin is poured into 50 ml. Then the resulting solution is administered intravenously for 48-72 hours. Sometimes toxic substances and mycobacteria are found in the liquid. Therefore, it is necessary to administer antibiotic drugs. With this treatment option, the dog’s condition improves significantly, and sometimes recovery occurs.
Use of diuretics
Sometimes diuretics are prescribed to remove fluid. But potassium is removed in the urine, which is released in this way. To maintain it, you need to use special diuretics. But over time, they cause an imbalance in water and electrolyte metabolism. Therefore, do not abuse such drugs.
Good results can be achieved by using protectors for cardio and liver. They help these organs function normally.
The animal's diet should not contain salt, and fluid intake should be minimal.
Conclusion
Dropsy in dogs, unfortunately, is not always treatable. But the means complex therapy and the common efforts of the owner and the doctor will allow for some time to maintain the functioning of the animal’s body in normal condition.
To make it easier for a doctor to cure dropsy in a dog, he must find out about all the diseases that the pet has ever suffered from, as well as the conditions under which it was kept. Treatment often takes more than one month. During this time, the animal should be provided with rest.
Ascites - pathological condition, in which fluid accumulates in the dog's abdominal cavity. It is dangerous because without treatment it leads to fatal outcome, and it is very difficult to quickly determine the cause without research. Ascites appears in dogs different breeds, sizes and gender. It is often confused with serious illnesses(gap Bladder) and other conditions (pregnancy, obesity), so you need to know about its features.
Ascites or abdominal dropsy appears against the background of an underlying disease, often life-threatening. It may be a lesion of an internal organ or a neoplasm, but sometimes fluid in the abdominal cavity is formed due to improper nutrition, physical factors. The most common causes of ascites are:
- malignant tumors;
- heart diseases;
- kidney disease;
- liver diseases;
- peritonitis;
- poisoning;
- lack of protein;
- excess salt.
Sometimes dropsy is provoked by injury to the spine, abdomen, chest, which disrupts the functioning of the body. Diseases of internal organs, such as the heart, can be caused by dirofilariasis, obesity, or be congenital (defects). Then they do not cope with their work, and fluid is released from the vessels into the abdominal cavity. The situation is the same with liver diseases. Kidneys normally do not allow protein to pass through and maintain the balance of certain microelements, but if there is a violation, a malfunction occurs and the consequences described above occur.
Tumors lead to ascites due to compression of internal organs and increased pressure in the blood vessels. Also malignant neoplasms cause general intoxication of the body, against the background of which effusion forms into the abdominal cavity.
With metastases, lymphatic drainage may be impaired.
Poor nutrition - excess salt or lack of protein, there are both options at the same time. This is one of the simplest cases of ascites, but other kidney and cardiovascular problems can occur.
Peritonitis is characterized by inflammation of the peritoneum. This process increases the permeability of the vessel walls, which allows the fluid to escape. In turn, peritonitis has many causes.
Symptoms of ascites in dogs
The symptoms of ascites are quite clear and give reason to think about the condition of the pet even to an inexperienced owner, despite the similarity with the manifestations of other diseases. It concerns behavior, appearance, affects appetite and general health. The main symptoms of dropsy in dogs:
- Enlarged belly - if you carefully lift the animal under the front paws, the liquid will move, this is very noticeable.
- Lethargy, depression - the dog does not play, does not greet the person joyfully, moves little.
- The pet sits almost all the time - the liquid causes discomfort, and this position allows you to remove it a little.
- Shortness of breath - fluid in the peritoneum compresses the heart and lungs.
- Thirst, frequent and copious urination, swelling - usually a symptom of kidney disease.
- Decreased or lack of appetite - observed in severe conditions.
- Muscle atrophy, weakness - weight may increase due to fluid accumulation, and vertebrae and ribs may become prominent.
Symptoms such as vomiting and difficulty breathing occur. Some of the manifestations of ascites are associated precisely with the underlying disease, which is why it is so important to determine it. The condition can rapidly deteriorate.
Diagnostics
Only a veterinarian will be able to confirm dropsy and detect the underlying disease, if any. For this purpose it is carried out visual inspection, blood tests, and a puncture with a syringe is taken from the abdominal cavity. The fluid with ascites is light straw-colored; it is usually drained using special instruments to alleviate the pet’s condition. Next, ultrasound and other studies are carried out to clarify the main diagnosis and prescribe treatment for the animal.
Important: If the puncture shows blood, then this is bleeding, not ascites. Urine indicates damage to the bladder, ureter, lymph - problems with lymphatic vessels.
Features of treatment
At the first symptoms you should contact veterinary clinic with good equipment. The main thing in treating dropsy is to eliminate its cause, usually the underlying disease. Surgery and chemotherapy for oncology may be prescribed; drugs are used for liver and kidney diseases. It all depends on the symptoms and severity of the pathology. At the same time, maintenance therapy and antibiotics are prescribed wide range . Fluid in the abdominal cavity is a favorable environment for the proliferation of microorganisms; a weakened state only complicates the situation.
To eliminate swelling and reduce the amount of accumulated substances in the abdomen, diuretics are used. However, many diuretics have a lot of contraindications for disorders of the heart and kidneys. If the balance of microelements in the pet’s body does not correspond to the norm, then its diet is changed. Remove salt and add proteins. In the first stages of treatment and maintenance therapy, they may be prescribed special drugs(human albumin).
Important: It is impossible to cure ascites at home. There are no tools and an ultrasound machine to make a diagnosis, which, moreover, is easily confused with other pathologies, there are no suitable medications and skills.
Prevention of ascites in dogs
There is no exact recipe. Ascites does not appear independently; it has many different causes, and the prerequisites for their occurrence are: specific dog difficult to see even for an experienced veterinarian. There are a few general rules, for example, balance the pet’s diet, regularly take it to a specialist for examination, and be attentive to its behavior and condition. When the dog's immediate family has frequent cases cancerous tumors, then this may be a reason for more thorough research.
Prognosis for Dogs with Ascites
If there is no treatment for ascites, the pet will not live even a few weeks. With an adequate approach and support, the duration depends on the causes of the pathology and general condition dogs. An imbalance of microelements after correcting nutrition and treatment can be eliminated forever and not cause ascites in the future. Malignant tumors They are also different, as is the fight against them. Peritonitis leads to serious consequences, but then relapses of dropsy rarely appear. There are cases when sick dogs with periodic accumulation of fluid in the peritoneum live up to 5 years, but they are helped by veterinarians and special procedures. And their quality of life can be maintained at a sufficient level.
The article contains a collection of the most frequently asked questions with answers to them on this topic, as well as recommendations that are presented for informational purposes only, since only a veterinarian can help determine treatment.
Ascites in animals, what is it, verdict or not, causes, symptoms, can it be cured, diagnosis, how long they live, prognosis
Ascites or dropsy is a painful condition pet, in which fluid collects in his abdominal cavity. Too much of it poses a danger not only to the pet’s health, but also to its life. Ascites is not a disease, it is a pathological condition, when diagnosed, it is necessary to immediately seek help from specialists in order to save the life of the animal.
The reasons why an animal may feel so unwell can be different: tumors, diseases of the liver, heart, kidneys, insufficient consumption of protein foods, and can also occur with peritonitis of the abdominal cavity. Timely identification of such a painful condition of a pet gives a great chance of successful treatment. Symptoms indicating that an animal has ascites are:
— bloated belly;
- hard breath;
— a fairly long sitting position of the animal;
- swelling;
- your pet consumes a lot of liquid and eliminates it frequently naturally;
- lethargy and immobility;
- Possible vomiting.
Ascites itself is not treated, since it is a complex condition with various diseases. The main task of the owner and veterinarian is to diagnose the diseases that caused the appearance of dropsy. And only after the underlying diseases have been discovered can treatment of the animal begin.
During the diagnostic period, which can last several days, the doctor prescribes maintenance therapy.
Diuretics are used to remove fluid from the abdominal cavity.
Ascites in dogs stages, consequences of what to feed
On initial stage It is almost impossible to diagnose ascites in dogs without an ultrasound examination, since nothing bothers the dog, and at first there are no visible symptoms of this condition.
With the right and timely treatment diseases that caused ascites and ascites itself, the animal will not feel any consequences of this disease. The main thing here is to do everything on time and efficiently. After two to three months, when the diseases worsen, the blood flow and the functioning of the lymphatic system are disrupted, visible signs dropsy.
When diagnosing ascites in a dog, the first step is to devote all your efforts to identifying the causes of this condition and maintaining vitality pet.
The animal is put on a special diet, which is based on easily digestible food products enriched with protein. The animal is prescribed diuretics, limiting the amount consumed table salt and liquids. There is a reception that is quite important special vitamins for dogs and cardiac remedies such as caffeine or digitalis infusion.
Abdominal ascites in dogs treatment, cost of surgery
If there is a large accumulation of fluid in the dog’s abdominal cavity, the veterinarian may prescribe an operation such as a puncture, with which about 4-6 liters of excess cargo can be released.
Abdominal ascites in dogs is treated surgically, as a rule, in cases of fairly high portal hypertension. The decision to undergo surgery is made in order to reduce the manifestations of hypertension. Operative method conditions are also created for the absorption of fluid by nearby tissues during ascites.
Mentohepatophrenopexy is one of the most popular surgical methods solutions to problems caused by ascites. The essence of this operation is that the omentum is sutured to previously prepared areas of the diaphragm and liver.
Ascites in animals treatment at home with folk remedies, reviews
Among traditional methods treatment of ascites in dogs good reviews characterize the following recipe, which can easily be prepared at home.
You need to take 800 grams of parsley and homemade milk. Without chopping the leaves, rinse well and place in a prepared metal container, pour milk over them. So that they are completely covered with liquid. All this needs to be put in the oven. Preheat to 60-80 degrees and heat there, without bringing to a boil, until the volume is halved.
When the brewed potion has cooled, you need to strain it and give the dog a glass to drink once a day.
Ascites in dogs, what color is the fluid, pathogenesis
In order to accurately determine whether the fluid accumulated in the dog’s abdominal cavity is a sign of ascites, the animal is prescribed a diagnostic method such as a puncture - a puncture of the abdomen to collect fluid for examination. If she has yellow light straw-colored and odorless - this is ascitic fluid. Different color or presence of sharp unpleasant odor indicates that accumulated fluid can be, depending on the symptoms, urine, blood or lymph.
Pathogenesis: obstructed blood flow and congestion in the portal vein system; decreased absorption of fluid in the abdominal cavity, and as a result, accumulation of transudate, stretching abdominal wall and pressing on the organs of the abdomen and chest, thereby disrupting their functioning.
Ascites in dogs due to heart failure, liver disease
With heart failure in dogs, there is often stagnation of blood in the circulatory system. This leads to the fact that the vascular beds become overcrowded and excess fluid in the blood is effused into the abdominal cavity, thereby causing a painful condition in the form of ascites.
With liver disease in dogs, its functional performance, which consists in filtering the flow of blood and lymph, is impaired. Impaired liver function leads to stagnation of blood and, as a result, the release of its liquid part into the abdominal cavity of the animal.
Our pets often get sick, that's a fact. Not all owners know what it is like in dogs. Because of this, treatment of the disease is often delayed long box. This leads to serious complications and sometimes death, and this is far from uncommon. It is important to monitor the dog’s health, observe changes in its behavior and appearance. The pet usually lets you know if it feels uncomfortable. Ascites in dogs is dangerous condition, the essence of which every owner of a four-legged friend should know about.
What is ascites in a dog?
Ascites is a pathology that is characterized by the accumulation of a certain amount of fluid in dogs. This phenomenon often occurs in healthy pet. But at the same time, there is very little fluid in the abdominal cavity; it does not interfere with the body’s ability to fully and regularly perform its functions.
Liquid doesn't just cause discomfort to your pet. It disrupts the full and continuous functioning of many systems and organs. At the same time, the dog suffers from shortness of breath. She suffocates very often, as a result of which she develops rapid fatigue, her body weight decreases sharply, and sometimes increases, since water weighs a lot.
In fact, this phenomenon is not considered a disease. Various symptoms may indicate the presence of complex pathologies. These signs include ascites in dogs. Fluid accumulates in the abdominal cavity due to other diseases. You need to know why such a deviation occurs.
As mentioned above, ascites is a symptom, not a disease. It is extremely unpleasant and can lead to dire consequences. To eliminate this phenomenon, you need to know the cause of its occurrence. The most common factors that cause ascites are:
- Various tumors. They grow in the body and put pressure on the abdominal cavity. Accordingly, the outflow of lymph is disrupted, which leads to fluid accumulation. Especially difficult situation occurs when a tumor ruptures. Then the fluid that accumulates in the abdominal cavity may contain toxins and other harmful substances that cause associated complications.
- Pathologies affecting the liver. Since this organ is responsible for filtering lymph and blood, when it is damaged, these functions are disrupted. The required amount of liquid is not filtered, resulting in stagnation. Then water begins to leak through the walls of the organs, causing ascites.
- Heart diseases. This is the most common type of pathology. Cardiac ascites in a dog occurs when this organ cannot cope with the large circulation. The vascular bed becomes overfilled, as a result of which fluid begins to accumulate.
- Diseases associated with the functioning of the kidneys, which are responsible for removing waste products, toxic and other harmful substances from the body. Sometimes they begin to remove useful elements, including protein, which contributes to the accumulation of fluid.
- Peritonitis is a condition whose main symptom is ascites. In this case, the walls of the abdominal cavity lose elasticity, as a result of which water is not removed from it.
- or protein starvation lead to similar consequences.
To begin treatment of a disease, you need to accurately determine the cause of its occurrence. Of course, it is impossible to do this efficiently at home, so at the first symptoms indicating the presence of pathology, you need to take the dog to the veterinarian. The signs of this disease are easily distinguishable, they cannot be ignored, but can be confused with another deviation. In this regard, you cannot self-medicate.
Unlike other diseases, with ascites all of the following symptoms are observed:
- Severely bloated abdomen. Unfortunately, this sign is not very noticeable in overweight dogs, so you need to monitor your pet’s diet.
- Severe shortness of breath, occurring without any reason.
- The mucous membranes turn blue. If ascites is caused by liver pathologies, they turn yellow.
- The pet spends most of its time in a sitting position to make breathing easier.
- The occurrence of edema. But be careful. This symptom can also manifest itself as an independent disease not associated with ascites.
- If the pathology is caused renal failure, The dog consumes large amounts of water. As a result, she goes to the toilet more often.
- The pet becomes passive, any movement causes him discomfort.
- The dog becomes indifferent to all surrounding processes.
- The animal doesn't eat anything, because of which he loses a lot of weight.
- Despite the fact that they are decreasing body fat and atrophies muscle mass, dog gaining weight, because there is too much fluid in her body.
- Vomiting may often occur. This can be explained by the cause of the disease.
Before giving your pet medicine, it is necessary to diagnose ascites in the dog. Treatment of the disease is prescribed after this.
Diagnosis of the disease
You must be prepared for the disease to be diagnosed in several stages, which can take a lot of time. Usually the whole process goes like this:
- The veterinarian listens carefully to the dog’s owner, writes down all the information and clarifies some aspects if necessary.
- The doctor carefully compares and analyzes all the signs of pathology.
- The doctor draws conclusions and makes a diagnosis after conducting some research.
You should understand that getting your dog examined may require some financial investment. This is due to the fact that more than one test is needed to determine the disease.
What kind of research is carried out in a veterinary hospital?
If the doctor suspects the presence of ascites, he issues a referral for the following studies:
- X-ray of the abdominal cavity.
These methods can show whether there is fluid in the animal's abdomen. The difficulty is that water accumulated in the body does not necessarily indicate the presence of ascites. This may be blood resulting from internal bleeding. The liquid may also be urine collected in the body as a result of improper kidney function.
Therefore for full examination The doctor should take a sample of fluid in the abdomen. If it is light in color and odorless, then the diagnosis is correct.
Determining the root cause of ascites
The liquid that is taken as a sample is sent to further research. Depending on the cause of ascites, it is divided into the following subtypes:
Based on the results obtained, the doctor prescribes treatment for ascites.
Treatment of ascites in dogs using pharmaceuticals
Unfortunately, it is not possible to get rid of ascites without treating the root cause of its occurrence. The underlying disease that caused the complication of abdominal dropsy is treated according to the doctor’s recommendations. He usually prescribes the following drugs:
- "Veroshpiron".
- "Furosemide".
- "Losartan".
The dosage and method of administration are determined by the veterinarian. However, these medications are not a panacea. They can only alleviate the pet’s condition. At the same time as taking them, the underlying disease must be treated. In very deplorable conditions, a technique such as pumping fluid from the animal’s body is used.
Laparocentesis as a way to combat ascites
Laparocentesis is a temporary measure for treating ascites, which involves pumping out fluid from the abdominal cavity. It is used to relieve the discomfort caused to the dog for a short period of time. After a certain time, the liquid will accumulate again, so the underlying disease must be treated without delay.
The procedure has by-effect. Along with the fluid, protein is also removed from the body. In this case, the pet is given pharmaceuticals containing it. Often the liquid contains toxic substances. Then it makes sense to take a course of antibiotics.
Related treatments
A concomitant method is to administer diuretic drugs to animals. However, you cannot use this method for a long time, because along with harmful substances Potassium is removed from the body.
Cardioprotectors and hepaprotectors are a treatment method that can maintain the condition of the heart muscle at a good level, as well as stabilize liver function. This is important in the treatment of ascites.
It is also necessary to change the dog's diet. It needs to be removed from it most salt. Also, limit the amount of liquid your pet can drink.
Unfortunately, sometimes ascites is a symptom incurable disease. However, the veterinarian and the dog’s owner are able to support the animal’s life for some time. To do this, you need to create conditions favorable for the pet.
Prevention of ascites
There are no specific measures to prevent this phenomenon. To avoid it, you need to carefully monitor your pet’s health in order to notice the appearance of major pathologies in time. Their timely elimination will allow you not to worry about the dog’s health.
Thus, ascites is not a disease, it is a symptom that indicates the presence of other pathologies. To eliminate it, it is necessary to cure the underlying disease, as well as undergo diagnostics to determine the type of fluid.
