Causes of Ascites in dogs
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Learn what to watch for should your dog have a distended abdomen
Ascites is a medical definition depicting fluid accumulation in the abdomen. In a dog, it can have various underlying causes and it often indicates some sort of organ malfunction or abnormality. A dog may have a slight form of ascites with subtle symptoms when there is little fluid accumulation, or the dog may present with a distended and enlarged abdomen when the fluid accumulation is substantial.
In a dog, ascites may indicate a serious underlying condition that requires treatment. In some cases, the abdomen may enlarge rapidly requiring immediate veterinary help, because the enlarged abdomen may compress the diaphragm and interfere with breathing. Below are some common causes of ascites in dogs:
- Liver disease causing low serum protein levels
- Heart failure causing increased pressure in the veins making fluids leak into the abdomen
- Peritonitis causing intestinal contents to leak out
- Bleeding disorder such as from ingesting rat poison or an inherited blood clotting disorder (causing blood to seep into the abdomen)
- Trauma (caused by the rupture of the spleen, bladder or gallbladder and its contents to leak out)
- A ruptured blood vessel in the abdomen causing blood loss, anemia and shock (often caused by injury or a ruptured tumor)
Symptoms of Ascites
Dogs affected by ascites will exhibit the typical sign of a distended abdomen. Tapping on the abdomen will produce a dull, flat noise. Depending on the underlying cause of ascites there may be accompanying symptoms owners must be on the look out for:
Breathing difficulty (suggesting the distended abdomen is interfering with breathing)
Cough (often suggesting heart disease)
Weakness (in some cases, suggesting internal bleeding)
Pale gums (suggesting anemia or shock from internal blood loss)
Treatment of Ascites
Treatment focuses on detecting the underlying causes. Often a procedure called Abdominocentesis is required where a needle is inserted to drain out the excessive fluids allowing the dog to breath better. The fluids are often analyzed so to come to a proper diagnosis. Ascites due to trauma may require blood transfusions and emergency surgery. Diuretics are often prescribed (such as Furosemide) to aid the body in flushing away excessive fluids. Dogs on diuretics will urinate more. IV Fluids are administered in case of shock or dehydration.
Ascites is a condition that should not be left untreated especially when it appears suddenly. The underlying cause needs detected as soon as possible in order to treat effectively and promptly. Never underestimate a dog with a distended abdomen.
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I looked through the whole hub, but nowhere do I see where I called ascitis a disease.
I believe if you do some research on Ascites you will find it is a condition, not a symptom or a disease.
Nice information anyways.
I find some conflicting information on this, some sites define it as a condition, others as a symptom, after all perhaps it can be both: a condition where the abdomen fills with fluids and it can be defined as a clinical sign, like '' upon examination, the dog exhibited ascites of the abdomen''.
As is congestive heart failure, ascites is a symptom not a disease.
ascites is a condition not a disease at all..as it occures as a conditon resulting from other diseases..
I am a nurse, so i am familure with ascites. Your hub is very usful, we resently had a one of our beloved dogs have ascites. He's ok now.
my dog (an english pointer) has ascites but we don't know what is causing it.She has lost a lot of weight and is not eating.We have taken her to the vets and she is now on a drip and liquidised food. Does anyone have any ideas at all we fear that we may not have her much longer.
two dogs recently died due to ascites after parturating now another one has developed the same condition after given birth
Instead of arguing like children saying yes you did, no you didn't, you should prob. consider that people are looking up this information because they are concerned about their loved one and not concerned about who calls it at disease or who calls it a condition. help the people. Isn't that what doctors are for to help people (or pets in this case)? I found this article to be helpful regardless of the diagnosis argument.
are there any herbal remedies for the treatment of Ascites?,thanks
Robert, I am not arguing like a child,I am a responsible writer and my goal is to provide accurate information. I am happy you find the article helpful.
Alex, I would stray away from herbal remedies for this sort of problem since ascites may stem from serious issues such as liver failure or serious heart disorders. If for your dog has ascites, you must see your vet at once..
Article very useful. Will be at the vets first thing having read this. Damn!
You need to look for herbal diuretics. I have found that some herbal are natural diuretics, but they not be as effective as the regular.
"Because the leaves contain so much potassium, they probably resupply any potassium lost due to dandelion's mild diuretic effect, although this has not been proven. http://www.mdidea.com/products/new/new02309.html
I have looked for herbals for diuretics. This article was one of the best: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/natural-diuretics-f
For the English Pointer, has the ascites fluid been tested? This can be a good indicator of which of the many possible causes is creating the ascites. Check out this article: http://www.vin.com/proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID
My dog has food allergies, probable liver and kidney damage. We don't have a definite diagnosis because I have limited funds and would rather put them to treatment, though I'm rethinking that.
My dog (5 year old lab - Lucy) also has an enlarged abdomin. I have spent $550 on blood work, urine analysis, multiple x-rays and a sample of the fluid has been sent to a lab and I am waiting results. She swelled up in a week. We also discovered she had a blocked colon which was cleared with an enima. Vet wants me to spend $700 more on a sonagram. I don't have any more funds for this. I am thinking I'll just try to have the vet drain the fluids or administer diurectics. If anyone has any other ideas, please respond.
Hi Chris,
Your dog probably has an ascites. How is he now? Your dog shoulld have given her a diuretics.
what causes postpartum ascitis in dogs and how can you prevent it. is there any breed disposition?
If for ascites you mean a swollen abdomen, I would be concerned about a possible inflammation of the endometrium (lining) of the uterus which occurs within a week after a dog has given birth here is a link about it:
I have an 11 year old weimaraner that has congestive heart failure which is causing ascites, my vet has put her on furosemide for the fluid build up as well as Lanoxin and Aminyllin, my question is how long does it take for the fluid to decrease in the stomach, she has been on this medication for 3 days - Thx
I think you should see results by now, please inform your vet if there are no changes.
My chiguagua (11 yrs old 9 pounds)has CHF and a pulmonar enema,he now has develop ascites, we are injecting every 12 hrs with furosemide (as the pill stopped working)giving him also (pill)spironolactone one hr before the injection. He is in a lot of meds due to his condition (enalapril,vetmedin viagra and medicine for the cough) He started with his enlarge heart over 2 + yrs ago. We are loosing hope and we has fight with his sickness for a long time (and lots of $$)we we love him so much.
What puzzle us is he that he is hungry and considering his sickness he is alert with moving limitations due to all the problems.
If I could help him with the ascites It will be much better, for the 1st time I'm considering to put him to sleep .....and is breaking my heart.
Another question .....if we may drain him of some of this liquid on a very delicate condition how long will the draining may last ?
Furosemide is most commonly used medication to treat ascites and I see that your dog is already on it. I am not sure what your vet can do to prolong his life, but at times, if you are unsure, it helps to ask the opinion of another vet. Some vets may opt to drain the fluid in a procedure known as ''abdominocentesis''. I am not sure how much it will last, I guess it depends on how advanced the disease is. If he is hungry and alert it may be worth a try to see if there are better options. Best wishes and thank you for taking so much care of him!
My 11 year old male Labrador's abdomen swelled abnormally in just a week. His scan and x-rays suggest possible tissue growth around the stomach or liver. The vet is unsure and has asked for further examination, for which he'll be taken tomorrow. Could it be Ascites? Should we fear his condition?
It is hard to say without diagnostic tests. The prognosis varies depending on the underlying cause. Many conditions causing ascites can be treated if this helps, but again there is no way to know for sure until the underlying cause is found, best wishes.
Thank you
Our dog Charley has ascites. We have had him drained twice now, and the second time he went in the Vet has recommended that we put him down. This is a very serious condition, and I would recommend anyone, that, think that their pet has this condition, to PLEASE take them to the Vet as soon as possible, Charley will be missed by us all.
P.S. We LOVE YOU Charley.
My German Shepherd Amigo died two days ago suffering the same condition. It developed very rapidly. He was very energetic and strong, and suddenly in a week, he's no longer with us. :( It is very serious condition, please anyone having the same problem with his dog, do not waste any time. Go to a vet.
I have a 6 year old miniature pinscher that we adopted last year in April. We found out about December that she has a shunt near her liver which has caused liver disease. We have had her stomach drained 3 x's. She gets along with it very well and when we bring her home she is a different dog. Last time they drained her was 2 weeks ago, they took off 5.1 pounds of fluid. She is very skinny, but oddly has as much energy as our other two min pins. She is still very happy too. I really wish I could figure out something to make her better or put weight on her, but I know there is nothing to do, but wait :(.
It wouldnt just be okay to drain a dog or keep doing that. Ascites always has an underlying cause. See your vet and let him/her find out and treat that. That may keep you and ur pet away from the clinic for a while. Cheers
Our dog IMHA, a condition where her immune system attacks her red blood cells. Her liver is also stressed, and this may be the primary cause of her IMHA, or an associated issue. The steroids she is on to stop the immune system from attacking her red blood cells also stress the liver. Anyways, it's complicated. But one of the issues is ascites. She is full of abdominal fluid. We cut back on the steroids to give her liver a rest, but she is still very bloated and has labored breathing at night. Our vet doesn't want to drain the fluid as he says it has a lot of natural electrolytes and proteins in them. But yesterday some of the fluid started dripping out her. As she sleeps, the pressure on her belly pushed quite a lot of fluid out onto the blanket. She actually looks more comfortable now and it is easier for her to get around. The fluid is still slowly dripping out...quite slow, but it's not healing. I'm worried she will lose too much fluid and become unstable. I've put a large bandage on it to block the flow, but I wonder if it will just soak the bandage overnight and push out more fluid....any thoughts?
Our almost 9 year old rottie, Sierra has been diagnosed w ascites because of fluid in her belly. We have spent over $700 so far for lab work to show she may be anemic but liver function looks good. They have done X-rays and we have gone to the vca ER in Aurora for an ultrasound. They wanted to keep her for more testing & iv's to the tune of $3k. I have brought her home instead where she is taking reglan and some other pharmaceutical grade vit E med. she is eating well but seems tired and the bloating is quite severe. Our vet really wants us to see an internist.
My 8 year old shih-tzu started to develop occassional diarrhea and vomiting a couple years and recently, it went bad and his belly is with water and he started refusing to eat. Went to the vet and did X-ray and blood work. He said his stomach was filled with gas and the blood work came with high white blood cell which indicated infection. Other than that was the liver count as 430 (normal was 141). I sort of remember the same number when I took him to a vet when he was around 3 yrs old, so I thought maybe it's not as serious. He was given 10 days antibiotics. He initially started to eat a little, but then would stop again. His belly remains the same... not worsen though. However, I decided to try Milk Thistle. 1st day of giving it, his belly seems to have soften (it was the last day of him on antibiotics) and his appetite came back. Then I read that I should do 5day/2day start/stop schedule. The 2 days I stopped, his belly seems to have harden again and he lost his appetite again... I just giving again and he started eating and belly seems soften again. Am I just imagining things? Does its effect come as quickly? Should I stick with 5/2 schedule? I read some website saying I should give 2-3 months...?
my vet said that fluid in my dog's abdomen contains "old white blood cells" can anyone explain that to me
Ascites is an accumulation of fluid, therefore it could be your dog is fighting an infection and pus (which is ultimately made of dead white blood cells) may have leaked in the abdomen? just guessing..
Our dog, Angel, has been having her belly drained for over a year once a week. Very costly. No one has been able to come up with a firm diagnosis. She sees a cardiologist every few months. I suspect Cushings but no other doctor agrees with me. She has had many tests and at first, her protein levels were high. Now, not so much. She has CHF (maybe). She is very lively. She runs and barks and eats normally. You wouldn't know that she was sick except for her destinded belly. Every week the vet takes off 1.0-1.5 liters of fluid. Any suggestions.
Arlana, I have a hard time understanding if your vet diagnosed congestive heart failure or not? This is a serious disease and may cause ascitis. It is diagnosed with chest X-rays, ECG, echocardiography,and other tests. If CHF is the cause she needs to be put on heart meds, a reduced salt diet, and a restricted exercise regimen.
We had a female boxer of 12yrs. We notice that her stomach was swollen so Thursday we took her to the Vet and they did x-rays and he said that she did not have a tumor but her heart was enlarged and they would have to drain her stomach.so we left her there he called back and told us they drained a little over 2 liters from her stomach and the blood work showed that she had heart worms. He told us that he was going to treat the enlarge heart first and worry about the heart worms later he just want to slow her heart down. So he put her on Enalapril 10mg 1.5 tablets twice a day,Furosemide 50mg 2 tablets twice a day and Doxcycline 100mg 1.5 tablets twice a day. ok when we went to pick her up friday and he brought her in there we knew something was different about her, she was staggering and he said that was probably cause she was in a confined space. We also notice that her stomach looked good but the fluid had moved up under her arms and he said that was ok and it should go away. Well when we took her home she laid on the couch all day unless she had to go out side a use the bathroom. we notice the fluid had moved to her back legs cause it had swollen up bad. we gave her pills like we were suppose to. Saturday looks like she was doing fine, she was walking more so my wife and I were so excited. Sunday we gave her pills that morning. at 7:55pm she had to use the bathroom and she came back and laid on the couch and sadness to say she past away at 8:00pm. why we don't know and she only gasp for breath twice. we did not think she would leave us this fast..Has anyone been through this please let us know. or was it too much medicine for her she was 65lbs.
My dog died today because of Ascites. This seems very painful for the dog. Buzo was 7.5 yrs old labrador. abdoman inflation just developed in last 3 days. I have been visiting a doc since last 5 days when he developed a fever. I wish this doesnt happen to any other dog.
We miss you Buzo.
Try not to pick up the dog by putting pressure on the abdomen. This will lead to additional pressure and might block the breathing for the dog.
We have been draining our 16 year old lab/chow mix (Calo) for 2 months now. We thought we were going to loose her before Thanksgiving. We have had blood work, x-rays, ultrasound done, but nothing conclusive... maybe heart failure, maybe lung disease, maybe cushings. Had her drained to get her comfortably through the holidays. She did so well that we have continued. Our primary goal is to keep her as comfortable as possible in her last days. She is much more comfortable after the drainings. Last time the vet removed more than 9 lbs of fluid. He is amazed she is still alive. They first had recommended we put her down, but after the first draining she could move around a lot better, would come to great us and wagged her tail... just can't see putting her down when she still seems to have a zest for life. Would much rather her go naturally. She also has a good appatight as long as we drain her before she gets too swollen. She is on prednizone to help her breathing and a dieuretic. We have to drain her about every 1-2 weeks. I would definetly recommend draining to improve comfort. Thanks for all the posts. It is nice to know we are not alone. Love you Calo!
I have an 8.5 year old Jack Russell, Lucy. She has been diagnosed with cancer of the liver and the spleen. We have had her drained 3 times so far and she is on prednizone and a dieuretic. She only seems to be able to go 1 week between drainings and although for the first few days she is very happy and comfortable I fear I'm doing her body more damage because the fluid seems to accumulate very fast after that. I do know that there is really nothing I can do to cure her cancer and we are going to lose her. Her appetite is good but she has lost most of her body mass, I assume to the cancer. I feed her lots whenever she asks but it doesn't seem to be helping her to gain that body mass. I don't know how long I should be doing this, not just because I can't afford the procedure every week but how much is too much? I love her so much and hate seeing her like this...it isn't her, she has been lost to the disease. :'(
I think only your vet may ultimately give you a better idea, or perhaps you can ask another vet's opinion. If you are into homeopathy, there are many vets that specialize in this and can give you a different insight, best wishes.
I have a dog with S.A.S
Golden Retriever born with Extreme SAS. Neutered at 4mo. Prognosis lifespan of 7-12 mo. He is 2 1/2 yrs now. 6mo ago he had difficulty breathing. Was sitting up to sleep. Many vets, tests & all said he was on his way out. One Vet gave him Flurosemide 40mg 2x's a day and atentinol 1/2 a day. He did not get better. Another Vet bumped up the flurosemide and atentenol & drained his abdomen. He was a new dog. Better than he had ever been. We kept draining him every 10-15 days and bumped the meds to 1 whole atentenol in morning, plus 400 mg of flurosemide in morning and 360 mg in evening. If I didn't know he had this SAS I would say he is cured. He wags his tail, plays a little although the heat zaps him. It was costing me 800 a month to keep him drained, medicated, & special food. My vet showed me how to drain him. It is scary but I can do it. I would never recommend this without a lot of special instruction as there are a lot of things you can hit with that needle. Also, infection and if the potassium level runs wrong it could be fatal. It is very hard to be faced with putting a dog down when money is the factor. My golden is young, and tolerates this well. Good luck to everyone.
***correction to above post. In looking at the Rx my golden is taking (1) atenalol 25 mg a day and 200 mg furosemide morning and 160 mg furosemide in the evening
My 5 year old shih tzu chihuahua mix has a bloated abdomen. He stopped eating today but will still drink. We took he to the Vet. and he has had blood work, x-rays, and been observed all day. He is taking Furosemide 12.5mg 2 times per day. Very worried - help please.
Your vet should find out what is causing the dog ascites in the first place. Is it a heart condition? More testing is needed, to ind the source of the leaking. best wishes
my labrador pup is suffering from acites .pls help me with effective treatment as i dont know any treatment .no doctor is here . i m staying in shivmoggha karnataka india. doctor says here that ascites has no treatment . i m worried
The vet needs to investigate what is causing it, there is nothing that can be done at home. The fluids can be drained by a vet to make the dog feel better, I wished I could be of more help, but this is something that needs the attention of a vet.
gyan prakash 2 years ago
ascitis is not a disease it is a symptoms