Abdominal dropsy ascites in dogs. Signs of ascites in a dog and methods of treatment

Our smaller friends, including dogs, often suffer from various diseases. Of course, almost all dog breeders are familiar with some of them (helminths, fleas), but they encounter others much less frequently. And this is very good, since the same dropsy in dogs is not always treatable. But this does not at all save pet owners from knowing about the main signs of this pathology.

Dropsy is a pathological process in which an accumulation of effusion or exudate occurs in the body cavity (thoracic or abdominal), or in some parenchymal organ (ovarian dropsy in a dog). The amount of fluid that accumulates in this case can be very large, it greatly stretches the organ, which often causes severe pain to the dog. Even worse is the fact that dropsy is almost never an independent disease: it is a sign of some serious functional disorders in the animal's body. As for the content that "leaks" into the cavity of the body or organ, it can be different: blood, lymph, effusion.

Although this is not so important, but in medicine and veterinary medicine, only the process in which a transudate or effusion accumulates in the cavity (as an option, lymph) is considered a true dropsy. Blood, urine and pus are signs of completely different pathological processes that have nothing to do with dropsy.

Read also: Intoxication in dogs: we understand the causes and methods of removal

Clinical manifestations and diagnosis

The photo clearly shows how the abdominal cavity swells ugly with this disease.

Difficulty breathing or visible effort: The inspiratory muscles are already very tight, making it very difficult for the dog to inhale. Exhalation is practically not difficult.

Phenomena indicating problems in the gastrointestinal tract: diarrhea or persistent constipation (the second is observed much more often).

Lethargy, coma. This clinical picture is almost always present if there is dropsy of the brain in dogs.

Cough, and in the most severe cases of hydrothorax, you can hear the gurgling of fluid in the chest cavity.

Vomit.

Intermittent fever.

. In most cases (especially with ascites), the animal does not eat anything at all, so that against the background of general emaciation, a huge belly becomes especially noticeable.

Weakness, apathy.

What to do to correctly diagnose dropsy? It is not always easy to do this, especially since there are many pathologies that, in their external manifestations, are similar to the same ascites or hydrothorax. Typically, veterinarians do the following types of tests:

A complete medical history is recorded, and a general physical examination of the animal is done.

Full .

Her biochemical research.

Analysis of urine.

X-ray of the chest and abdomen.

Puncture of the abdomen or chest cavity to collect fluid that may be in them. This is important not only for determining its nature, but also for seeding pathological material on nutrient media, which is done if an infection is suspected.

Read also: Venereal sarcoma in dogs: features of the disease, as well as methods of diagnosis, treatment and preventive recommendations

Based on the results of the initial analyzes, other studies are carried out that will help the veterinarian specify the root cause of the disease and determine the long-term prognosis:

Advanced blood biochemistry, checking the level of bile acids.

Checking the level of lipases in serum.

If dropsy of the heart is suspected in dogs, an ultrasound examination of the organ is performed, which will accurately indicate the presence or absence of pathological changes in it.

Echocardiogram.

Endoscopy.

Therapeutic activities

We note right away that no “treatment” with folk remedies for this pathology will definitely help! Only in the clinic can all the necessary tests be carried out, on the basis of the results of which all further therapy is built.

Since we can't tell what exactly caused dropsy in your dog, here are some maintenance therapies that are used in almost any case:

Ascites or dropsy of the abdomen is an abnormal (abnormal) accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity. The amount of fluid can be small and completely invisible to the owners of the animal, or it can be so huge that the dog looks like a pregnant woman and has difficulty walking.

Ascites can form when fluid leaks from blood vessels, the lymphatic system, internal organs, or tumors.

It is important to understand that ascites is not an independent disease, but always a consequence of some problem.

Causes of ascites in dogs

Hypoalbuminemia, or a decrease in the level of albumins (proteins) in the blood;
severe liver disease;
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);
Problems of the lymphatic system;
Violation of the outflow of blood 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:

Increase in the volume of the abdomen;
Difficulty breathing or breathing with effort, since a significant amount of fluid can press on the diaphragm and prevent it from participating in the act of breathing;
Pain in the abdomen;
The lethargy of the animal, often the weight and volume of the liquid is so large that it is simply difficult and difficult for the dog to move around;
Cough (rare)
Vomit. Often it may not be a direct consequence of ascites, but be one of the symptoms of the underlying disease along with dropsy of the abdominal cavity;
Fever. Inflammatory processes in the abdominal cavity, leading to ascites, often cause an increase in temperature;
Anorexia (lack of appetite);
Cachexia (exhaustion). Together with a large amount of water, a large amount of protein is usually released into the ascitic fluid, due to which the dog becomes thin;
General weakness.

Diagnosis of Ascites in Dogs

Locating fluid, per se, in the abdominal cavity of a dog is not a difficult task. If ascites has developed significantly, then an increase in the abdomen is visible to the naked eye, and it is clear to the touch that there is fluid in the abdomen. To confirm ascites, the doctor at the clinic may do an ultrasound. In the case when there is little fluid, without ultrasound, it can be impossible to say with certainty whether there is ascites. In addition, the presence of fluid in the abdominal cavity can show x-rays. When x-rays, the fluid creates the so-called ground glass effect - those organs that are usually clearly visible on an x-ray, with ascites are not visualized at all or are poorly visualized. The abdomen looks like a gray spot. Therefore, x-rays are taken after the fluid has been drained.

In order to find out the cause of the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, the following studies are shown:

Detailed blood test - clinical and biochemical;
Analysis of urine;
Radiography of the abdominal and chest cavities;
Abdomenocentesis (puncture of the abdominal wall), removal of fluid and its analysis - cytological, bacteriological;
Ultrasound procedure;
Echocardiography (ultrasound of the heart).

Treatment of ascites in dogs

The most important, of course, is the treatment of the underlying disease, which led to the accumulation of fluid in the dog's abdomen. For the correct treatment of the underlying disease, it is necessary to make an accurate diagnosis. The elimination of ascites, as such, is a fight against the consequence, and not a treatment, but it can be a vital measure, and sometimes, unfortunately, almost the only possible measure, although temporarily, but radically improving the condition of a seriously ill animal. Such activities can be:

Therapeutic abdomenocentesis to remove a large amount of fluid from the abdominal cavity, especially in the case 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 diverted ascitic fluid

It is important for owners of an animal 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.

Abdominal dropsy or ascites in dogs is a fairly common and dangerous disease that can cause the death of a pet. This article is devoted to this disease. What causes ascites in dogs? What are the symptoms of infection and how to treat the animal? You will learn about this below.

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General information about the disease

Dropsy in dogs is a pathological condition of a pet when large amounts of free fluid accumulate in the abdominal cavity. If there is a lot of this fluid, there is a violation of the functions of the abdominal organs, it becomes difficult for the animal to breathe. In general, fluid is already contained in the abdomen, but only in small quantities.

Causes of illness in four-legged

It must be understood that dropsy of the abdominal cavity is primarily a symptom, and only then a disease. The appearance of this disease can be due to many reasons.

Consider the most common of them:

The appearance of a tumor. When an oncological process takes place in the abdominal cavity, this often becomes the reason why dropsy occurs in dogs. In particular, a tumor can form on any organ, from the stomach to the bladder. If a tumor develops, this can compress the vessels, thus causing portal hypertension. Accordingly, with an increase in pressure in the vessels of the abdominal cavity, it causes the appearance of fluid in it.
In addition, with a tumor in the pet's abdomen, a violation of the lymphatic outflow may occur. Or the effusion in the abdominal cavity can be formed as a result of intoxication of the body.
For various liver diseases in pets. Often such diseases are accompanied by dropsy. As you know, one of the main tasks of the liver is the filtration of blood and lymph nodes, as well as their purification and protein synthesis. When an animal begins to suffer from liver disease, whether it is related to inflammatory functions or not, the liver can no longer perform all the tasks assigned to it. In particular, in the body of a pet, blood stagnation occurs and the liquid begins to seep through the walls of the vessels. Since protein synthesis is impaired in the body, the pressure of plasma proteins decreases, as a result of which dropsy in dogs develops even more actively.
If the dog has a heart condition. As a rule, with heart failure in pets, blood stasis is often recorded. As a result, this can cause ascites, respectively, ingress of the liquid component of the blood into the cavity.
If your pet has kidney disease. The kidneys are a particularly important organ designed to regulate the body's water and electrolyte balance and control the excretion of metabolic products into the environment. In principle, the kidneys are equally important for the body of the animal, as well as the liver. If the body is working properly, then the kidneys will not allow blood to be excreted in the urine, but if the dog has inflamed kidney tissue, then this is quite possible. Accordingly, the loss of protein can cause dropsy in the abdominal cavity.
Protein starvation. A similar situation, described in the previous case, can also happen with protein starvation, that is, if the pet does not receive the proper level of protein from food intake.
With peritonitis in an animal. Peritonitis is an inflammation of the abdominal cavity that can occur as a result of various causes. It is noteworthy that peritonitis is often accompanied by dropsy. The bottom line is that the fluid accumulates in the cavity due to active inflammation and a violation of the tightness of the vascular tissues.

Symptoms

Now let's move on to the symptoms of the disease - it is the symptoms that will allow you to determine the appearance of this disease in a pet in time:

First of all, the animal has a large and swollen abdomen. But keep in mind also that if your pet is basically full, while there is not much fluid in the abdominal cavity, then the stomach as a whole may be weakly expressed.
The dog began to breathe heavily. If there is a lot of low-quality fluid in the abdominal cavity, then breathing will be difficult. In addition, the dog will experience shortness of breath. It is possible that the mucous membranes will turn blue. In the event that pathological processes occur in the liver, the mucous membrane may give off a yellow color.
If the dog has dropsy, then it will sit a lot, and the sitting position will be forced. As a rule, sitting position is caused by difficulty in breathing as a result of a large amount of fluid in the abdomen, as well as its pressure on the lungs.
Your pet may have swelling.
In addition, the animal will drink a lot and, accordingly, go to the toilet. As practice shows, such symptoms are often observed in pets with chronic renal failure. In general, with severe and regular thirst, you need to pay attention to the health of the dog.
The dog became less mobile. In general, the animal is lethargic and lethargic. It is possible that the animal's body is depleted, as a result of which the dog will stop eating, sleep most of the time, and it will become very difficult to move around.
If muscle atrophy has occurred. In general, this is due to the general increase in mass as a result of the presence of fluid in the abdominal cavity.
If dropsy appeared as a result of liver or kidney disease, then it is possible that the animal will experience vomiting, and this can happen constantly.

Treatment Methods

What to do if the dog has ascites? As you already understood, this ailment is not an independent disease. Accordingly, it represents a certain complex of various symptoms, which can manifest itself in many diseases. Accordingly, it makes no sense to treat an animal if the underlying disease has not been detected. Therefore, the treatment of ascites in dogs should first of all be started with the treatment of the underlying disease.

Your first priority in identifying any signs of ascites is to consult a veterinarian and take the animal to a doctor.

Before embarking on the treatment of a pet, it is necessary to make a diagnosis.

This process should be comprehensive, in particular, include:

full ultrasound of all abdominal organs;
in some cases, an x-ray of the cavity is also required.

As you can see from the photo above, the dog's stomach can be quite normal. At the same time, an X-ray photograph is placed next to it, indicating the opposite. There is a lot of fluid in the pet's abdominal cavity that needs to be removed.

This is the only way you can find out if there is really fluid in the stomach. And in order to understand what specific fluid is in the cavity, it will be necessary to make a trial puncture of the abdominal wall. This is the only method that will help identify the disease. You must understand that all these processes may take some time. So that nothing bad happens to the animal during this period, the doctor must prescribe a maintenance therapy procedure, which will greatly alleviate the condition of the dog.

In particular, it should be noted that cardio and hepaprotectors have good results in liver and heart maintenance therapy. To eliminate fluid from the stomach, you will need to use diuretics.

Prevention measures

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As for the prevention of ascites, as you already understood, we can only talk about the prevention of diseases that cause this disease. There are simply no other options. Therefore, we recommend that you periodically examine your pet by a veterinarian. The main thing is that the liver, kidneys and heart of the dog are in order, this greatly reduces the likelihood of ascites.

The first thing you need to pay attention to is the nutrition of your pet. To avoid protein starvation, you must feed your pet exclusively high-quality and fresh food, which contains all the necessary components and minerals. In the absence of such health problems, you are unlikely to be able to avoid.

If, nevertheless, it happened that the dog fell ill, then in addition to complex treatment, you must provide it with a salt-free diet. With a salt-free diet, the likelihood of excess fluid in the body is minimal, and if it does appear, it is only in a limited amount. In any case, if at least any symptoms of ascites are detected, the dog must be immediately carried for a consultation with a veterinarian.

Video "Dog with ascites disease"

What a dog looks like with a swollen belly, sick with ascites, you can see in this video.

Dropsy in dogs (aka ascites) is a condition in which a large amount of fluid accumulates in the abdominal cavity. It can be in a healthy dog, but its amount is very small. A large accumulation of fluid disrupts the work of all the organs of the abdominal cavity of the dog, it begins to suffocate. Shortness of breath begins to torment her, activity decreases, fatigue occurs, weight begins to decrease sharply.

Causes of dropsy

Ascites is a symptom, not a disease. There are quite a few reasons for it, here are the most common:

tumor;
liver disease;
heart disease;
kidney disease;
peritonitis.

Often the cause of the development of dropsy in dogs are tumors of various organs of the abdominal cavity. Growing, the tumor begins to put pressure on the vessels, resulting in a sharp increase in blood pressure, which leads to the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity.

Also, a tumor may suddenly open in a dog and begin to exude very strongly, as a result of which in the peritoneum, the outflow of lymph is disturbed or an excessive amount of fluid is formed due to intoxication of the body caused by the tumor.

Dropsy of the abdominal cavity is often caused by diseases of the liver. This organ is engaged in filtering blood and lymph, cleaning them and synthesizing proteins. As soon as the liver becomes ill, all its functions are disturbed. It cannot normally filter the necessary volumes of blood and lymph, as a result of which they begin to stagnate, fluid begins to seep through the walls of the vessels and ascites occurs. Violation of protein synthesis leads to a decrease in plasma protein pressure blood, due to which the liquid part of the blood begins to exit into the tissues and body cavities and free fluid appears.

In dogs, a diseased heart provokes stagnation of blood in the systemic circulation, which causes ascites in the abdominal cavity as a result of overflow of the vascular bed.

The kidneys regulate the body's water and electrolyte balance and promote the release of metabolic products like the liver. Healthy kidneys should not contain plasma proteins in the urine, however, inflamed kidney tissue begins to secrete this protein in large quantities. This loss of protein, together with excessive sodium retention in the body, contributes to the development of dropsy in the animal.

Peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneum. It can occur for many reasons and is almost always accompanied by ascites. An excessive amount of fluid begins to accumulate in the peritoneum due to severe inflammation, as a result of which the vascular walls lose their tightness and their permeability increases.

dropsy symptoms

How can you tell if your dog has ascites? You should know its main symptoms:

the main symptom is a distended abdomen. In fat animals, this sign is weakly expressed, so it can be easily overlooked;
due to the large amount of fluid in the pet, breathing problems begin, shortness of breath occurs, and the mucous membranes begin to acquire a bluish tint. If ascites is due to liver disease, the mucous membranes may be icteric. A large amount of fluid in the abdominal cavity begins to put pressure on the diaphragm and lungs, so the dog is forced to be in a sitting position to make it easier to breathe;
edema can appear as with dropsy, but also as an independent disease. Edema along with ascites indicates the occurrence of a disease such as hypoalbuminemia or renal failure. Ascites often occurs in the pleural cavity;
the dog begins to drink a lot and often goes to the toilet in a small way. These symptoms occur in chronic renal failure;
the dog's activity is reduced. She becomes lethargic and indifferent to everything. The animal becomes very thin, does not eat anything, sleeps all the time, moves with difficulty;
muscle mass starts to atrophy dog's weight increases due to the accumulation of a large amount of fluid in the abdominal cavity;
with ascites, a pet can often vomit, which is explained by the presence of an underlying disease (kidney, liver disease, paraneoplastic process).

How to diagnose dropsy?

Ascites is diagnosed as follows:

listening carefully to the dog owner's complaints;
analyzing the symptoms;
based on the results of laboratory blood tests;
according to the results of the study of fluid taken from the abdominal cavity;
taking x-rays or ultrasounds.

After carefully listening to the owner and examining the animal, the veterinarian concludes whether it is ascites or not. To confirm or refute their suspicions, an ultrasound or x-ray of the abdominal cavity is performed. However, these studies can only show whether excess fluid is present or not.

It is not a fact that the revealed fluid in the abdominal cavity is dropsy. as a liquid could be blood with internal bleeding, urine, if as a result of an injury there was a rupture of the bladder or lymph, with damage to the lymphatic vessels.

In the differential diagnosis, a puncture is made in the abdominal wall to take some fluid for laboratory testing. If the taken fluid has a light straw color and odorless, then in 100% of cases it is ascites. If blood acts as a liquid, it is indicates hemorrhage in the abdominal cavity, urine indicates that a rupture of the bladder or ureter has occurred, and the white milky fluid is lymph. If purulent inflammation occurs in the abdominal cavity, the liquid will be of a different color with an unpleasant odor. An accurate diagnosis is made after laboratory tests.

The fluid studied in the laboratory is very accurate in diagnosing the root cause of the disease. Depending on the composition, the liquid is divided into:

exudate;
hemorrhagic exudate;
transudate;
altered transudate.

If studies indicate a transudate, then diagnoses such as tumors, helminthiases, diseases of the liver, intestines, portal hypertension, and renal failure are made.

If an altered transudate is confirmed, the dog is most likely suffering from heart failure, a tumor, or portosystemic hypertension. Exudate arises from peritonitis or tumors. Blood in the exudate indicates damage to the internal organs of the animal.

Treatment of ascites

This pathology is a consequence of any inflammatory process occurring in the dog's body. Having got rid of the cause, dropsy will also disappear. If the animal is in a very serious condition, laparocentesis is performed to alleviate it, which consists in pumping out excess fluid from the abdominal cavity. However this measure is temporary., since the liquid will form again and again, and its constant excretion contributes to the fact that the dog's body begins to lose protein in large quantities, further worsening the general condition of the pet.

To compensate for the loss of protein, an albumin solution is administered or the pumped out fluid is reinfused. In the latter case, 500 units of heparin are added to 50 ml of liquid and administered intravenously for two to three days. It happens that pumped fluid contains toxins and bacteria Therefore, antibiotics such as cephalosporins are used. This method is justified by the fact that it prolongs the life of the dog and even the onset of remission is possible.

Also, diuretics should be given to remove fluid, but in this case, a large amount of potassium is excreted from the body. To preserve it, diuretics are prescribed that save it, but this is also not an option. They cause dyshormonal disorder.

Good results are given by cardio and hepaprotectors that support the heart muscle and liver function. The diet of the animal should be salt-free, and the amount of fluid consumed should be reduced.

Although dropsy often occurs with incurable diseases, the dog owner and veterinarian working together can keep the animal in a satisfactory condition for some time, improving its quality of life.

From the point of view of medicine, the concept of dropsy in dogs is also denoted by the term ascites in a dog - a disease when a lot of fluid accumulates in the abdominal cavity. If we take into account that during normal life in the body of an animal, water is already present, then with dropsy, the indicators exceed the norm many times over. Excessive concentration leads to the pathology of the functioning of internal organs. The state of health of the animal gradually worsens, which is characterized by an aversion to food and, as a result, a decrease in body weight.

Causes of ascites

Like any other disease, dropsy does not appear out of the blue, there are specific prerequisites for its appearance. There are many factors for the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, however, the main prerequisites include:

1. The appearance of a tumor. When an oncological process occurs in the peritoneum, in this case it often indicates the formation of fluid accumulation. A tumor can form in any other organ, including the bladder. When a neoplasm is formed, the vessels begin to compress, in a similar way initiating a syndrome of increased pressure in the portal vein system. In accordance with this, an unpleasant disease occurs with the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity.

2. With violations of the liver. Often, such pathologies lead to the appearance of ascites. The liver is a very important organ and plays a key role in the metabolic process, from production to disposal of waste. If a dog has inflammation in the liver, it will not be able to function fully. The process of stagnation of blood begins in the body, and fluid penetrates through the walls of blood vessels. Since a violation of protein synthesis occurs, as a result, dropsy of the abdominal cavity in dogs forms much faster.

3. In violation of the work of the heart, there are problems associated with stagnation of blood. The result is the formation of ascites in the abdominal cavity.

4. Pathology of the kidneys. Do not forget that, like the liver, the kidneys play an important role in the body of the animal. This is the cleansing of toxic substances, the removal of fluid, the maintenance of normal blood pressure. When an animal has problems associated with inflammation in an organ, the entire body fails. Accordingly, the loss of protein can serve as a factor in the occurrence of dropsy in the abdominal cavity.

5. Protein starvation. Due to chronic renal failure, there may be problems with a lack of protein in the body, which will lead to the complete destruction of the cells of the organ. Therefore, it is so important to monitor the nutrition of the dog and enrich its diet with food containing protein.

6. With peritonitis - inflammation of the peritoneum, which occurs due to various factors. It is worth noting that inflammation very often indicates the appearance of dropsy. The bottom line is that fluid accumulates in the cavity due to an intense inflammatory process and a problem with the vessels.

Dropsy is a difficult and serious disease that appears due to diseases of the internal organs, and at the same time very significant, without which a full-fledged life of a dog is impossible.

Symptoms of ascites

Signs of the development of this disease are especially visible on a walk, if the animal was previously active and suddenly reluctantly goes for a walk. General symptoms are not immediately visible, but attention should be paid when the animal shows the following signs:

disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (diarrhea, vomiting);
there is no craving for food or there is excessive absorption of food;
indifference, lethargy;
careful movements.

But the main thing that characterizes abdominal dropsy in dogs is an inflated belly, the so-called "belly of a toad." When the fluid accumulates slowly, the owners may decide that the pet is getting fat or the dog has littered. If the volume grows rapidly, the owners believe that the animal is overeating, gases or helminths are formed. A distinctive feature of ascites from the opinions mentioned above is associated with a shift in the bulk of the fluid. When the animal is in the prone position, the water in the peritoneum passes into the lateral part. If you raise the dog, the liquid flows down (the stomach has a pear-shaped appearance).

Therefore, it is so important to correctly examine the dog, because with this disease it is noticeable that the stomach “moves” due to a change in the dog’s posture. You should go to the vet as soon as you notice these symptoms. After all, the earlier you diagnose the disease, the higher the reality that treatment will help.

Diagnosis and treatment of dropsy disease in dogs

When dropsy is already present, the growth of the abdominal cavity is clearly visible, as with the palpation of the dog (accumulation of fluid). Only a veterinarian can confirm the diagnosis with the help of several diagnostic options. There are times when dropsy is still in its early stages, so it is impossible to feel it, since there is still little liquid. Therefore, the best option would be an ultrasound examination of the peritoneum.

In addition, the presence of water can be shown by an x-ray, in which the liquid forms a “frosted glass” (organs that were previously clearly visible in the picture with ascites are displayed weakly or not at all). For this reason, x-rays are taken after the water has been drained.

So, you can use the following ways to recognize the disease:

detailed blood test,
Analysis of urine,
radiography,
puncture of the abdominal wall, drainage of water and its study,
heart examination.

Initially, the owner of the animal is obliged to go to the doctor or call him to the house, and not try to self-medicate. When the condition of the animal is serious, an urgent procedure is needed to pump out the fluid.

In other words, ascites in a dog involves the release of the abdominal cavity from fluid. Excess water "squeezes" the diaphragm and does not allow the animal to breathe naturally, and in addition, it compresses the organs. For this reason, you need to get rid of the accumulated fluid by piercing the abdominal wall. This is not a painful process, which does not require the use of anesthesia, including local anesthesia. The main thing is that the withdrawal of water is carried out smoothly, and not at a fast pace.

Naturally, the removal of fluid from the peritoneum is a short-term procedure, since water can again accumulate. Very often, this operation is prohibited, since, together with the liquid, the animal loses proteins that are important for the body. For this reason, in addition to curing the main disease, the doctor will prescribe diuretic substances that delay the formation of water, protein drugs (albumin), drugs with a wide range of effects. To maintain the work of the heart, tincture of lily of the valley, adonizide is prescribed. Most often, a dog cannot be completely cured, but it is permissible to significantly improve its quality of life.

Conclusion

The veterinarian, first of all, needs to find out the pathology that led to the appearance of the disease. Only in this case, when carrying out an effective cure, it is possible to expect that the liquid will not accumulate again. It is also important to take care of the dog's diet. For the period of treatment, the dog is transferred to a salt-free diet and limited in fluid intake.

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