Cat has fluid in belly, no appetite after tumor surgery. What's wrong?

There are a few things that could be causing Chunnu's belly to be larger than normal. First, if she is having heart or liver problems, this can cause fluid to backup into the belly. This fluid can usually be diagnosed with x-rays or ultrasound, and if there is a large amount of fluid it can easily be removed. However, the fluid will usually come back in a matter of days or weeks unless we cure the underlying cause. Another potential cause for a large belly is intestinal parasites. I recommend that Chunnu have a good dewormer or have her stool tested by a veterinarian. The other potential cause is that she is gaining weight in fat. As cats age, they started to shift more weight to the belly and can appear bigger there than when they were younger. If she is eating well and her activity is normal, you could just continue to monitor her belly from home, or see your vet for re-evaluation.

I am so sorry you and Mimi are going through this. It is perfectly acceptable to seek a second opinion from another veterinarian or veterinary office at any point! If you aren’t comfortable with the testing or diagnosis you may want to reach out to Mimi s doctor first to discuss things again (maybe he had concerns based on the x-Ray? Or maybe fluid was actually examined and cancerous cells were seen?) and in more depth. If you are still uncomfortable though at all , there is no reason not to make an appointment with another vet for their opinion. Anytime a cat has a belly full of fluid, something very serious is going on. And It is unfortunately true that abdominal fluid (aka ascites) in an older kitty is often cancer. The more common cancers we see are lymphoma and adenocarcinoma and mast cell disease. However, there are several other causes including heart failure (the veterinarian would likely be able to rule this out based on exam and x-rays) or infection. Fluid cytology (having fluid submitted to lab to be examined under a microscope) and abdominal ultrasound often can help us start sorting out what could be the underlying problem. Again, I’m sorry Mimi is dealing with this.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From the X-rays, I can see that Mara's abdomen appears to be filled with fluid. It is obscuring his liver and intestines from being seen and there may even be a small amount in his lungs. Unfortunately it is impossible to tell what the fluid is from the x-ray alone. His blood work shows some abnormalities with his electrolytes, which may be if he is not eating or from fluid in the abdomen. Mara also has a high white blood cell count, these are the cells that are responsible for fighting off infections and increase if there is one present. Your vet can run some additional diagnostics, and perform a tap and remove the fluid as well as a blood test to determine if Mara is infected with FIP, a mutated form of a common virus that cats are exposed to. I hope this helps!

After 3 days, the recovery from anesthesia should be gone and she should be feeling like her old self and normal. For her to not have an appetite at this point is concerning something else is going on and it is not part of the surgery recovery. I would recommend taking her to a vet for a check up. They can take her temperature and make sure she is not dehydrated. They can see if there is an infection or a virus that is making her feel bad. Continue to do broth or you can try tuna or the juice to encourage her to keep fluids in until you get her seen. I would also try to keep the other cats away from her so she can rest.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Tashi's loss of appetite can be related to her cancer, similarly to humans who have cancer, animals can lose their appetite and not feel well. However, it can be caused by something else such as a toxin, intestinal parasites, or a number of underlying medical conditions. I recommend keeping a close eye on Tashi, and having her seen by a vet prior to her appointment if she does not eat for a full 24 hours, has loss of energy, or vomits/has diarrhea. I hope all is well and that everything goes well for Tashi during surgery!

Poor girl. She may have an infection still present, it really is unsure until the vet examines her. There really isn't much you can do besides get her on antibiotics once she see's your vet. You should just offer her some yummy food, preferably canned tuna and white rice or some other canned food to try and entice her to eat tonight and make sure she's comfortable. Hopefully her condition improves soon! Best of luck and take care.

In my opinion going to the ER would be best, although you may not be able to have a full ultrasound until Monday morning. Some potential causes of fluid in the abdomen include an infection or abscess in the abdomen, diseases like FIP, or cancer. If there were an infection it would be best to start treatment sooner rather than later. An ER vet could take a sample of fluid to examine for signs of white blood cells or bacteria and might be able to perform a limited ultrasound. It's also possible that a specialist could be called in to perform a full ultrasound if needed over the weekend.