My dog's tests are normal, but I feel something's wrong. GI surgery?

Without a hands-on exam I really cannot say much about the peeing. It is quite possible that the excess fluid in the abdomen (often a sign of liver disease, cushing's disease, heart disease and tumors) could be pressing on the bladder and so hinder urination. An exploratory surgery will lay open the abdominal content and your vet will be able to immediately tell what your dog's problem is and possibly why he has ascites (fluid in the abdomen). Without seeing the results of the tests I also cannot tell you what your veterinarian may suspect, however since he wants to do an exploratry laparotomy he is likely suspecting a problem with the liver. The bloating is actually an expansion of the abdomen caused by the fluid. I am sorry about your dog being so sick. I would say an exploratory laparotomy is likely the best way to find out what is wrong with your dog.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It sounds as though the veterinarian has performed a lot of testing but has not been able to come up with a diagnosis. Exploratory abdominal surgery is beneficial in helping diagnose disease. However, I always warn pet owners that there is the potential for a negative exploratory, meaning that nothing was found during surgery. The same holds true for Izzy. The veterinarian may or may not find a reason for the symptoms. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

If you are worried you really need to do whatever testing your vet is recommending. Without all the information about what tests were already run and those results I'm afraid we can't be of much service. There is not enough information for me to go on. If you don't trust what your vet is telling you then you should consider getting a second opinion (in person) with another vet that can examine Eli and can review all his previous testing. I have no idea what they want to test for based on what you have said. Not eating and drinking a lot of water are not specific enough signs to point to one disease or illness. This is likely why they have to keep doing more tests. Unfortunately in medicine sometimes things are not just cut and dry. Sorry I can't be of more help. Either do the test your vet recommends or get a second opinion. That is the best I can tell you for now. Best wishes.

I can see a few areas in the x-ray that would concern me although I don’t think there’s an obvious foreign body or obstruction. It might be more obvious in person - it’s difficult to look at x-rays on a phone. Any time a dog is continuing to vomit despite appropriate treatment with anti nausea medication I get concerned, and it sounds like exploratory surgery might be the next step.

That duration of inappetance is very concerning. Did you family vet prescribe some therapy, anti nausea medication? It sounds like your kid needs to see a specialist. For a case like this an internal medicine specialist would be the best person to see. A full abdominal ultrasound with an experienced ultrasonographer (either a radiologist or internist) is likely the first step if blood work and xrays are normal. Unfortunately some pets cases are complex and some disease processes require more advanced testing then what family vets can provide. Likely your family vet has ruled out some common things but an internist will look for the uncommon things. Unfortunately decreased appetite is a very non specific symptom because in animals when they do not feel good for any reason they can stop eating. Your family vet should be able to provide a referral for you if you are interested in this option. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Remi. In the bloodwork that was run, did it include GI specific testing such as cobalamin, folate, PLI and TLI levels. These are values that will give information such as the location of GI disease (small intestine vs pancreas) and treatment options. I typically do this planel in conjunction with an abdominal ultrasound. This information with the ultrasound can give insight into conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, food sensitivities or as you mentioned cancer. The anti-inflammatory properties of the antibiotic she was on could help even with a tumor in GI tract, but there are so many other causes of diarrhea that would respond as well. I think it is worth pursuing further bloodwork and the ultrasound. If you can get a diagnosis, then a treatment plan can be developed. I hope this information helps!

Hello, I'm sorry to hear that Riley is having this problem. I suggest you take him for a second opinion with a board certified veterinary internal medicine specialist. An MRI is not a bad idea but I think there are other less expensive tests that may be more applicable to run first like more extensive bloodwork to check for endocrine diseases, tick borne diseases, etc. Also, if he only had plain film X-rays, a contrast study might be a good idea. I suggest you ask your vet for a referral to a specialist in your area. Hope this helps. Best wishes.