What causes a cat's stomach to swell? Is it a blocked bladder?

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!

There are many different issues that could be causing her abdomen to swell, ranging from fluid build up to organ enlargement or tumours. Unfortunately there is no way to shed any light on what is causing it without taking her to a vet for a thorough examination. They may need to run some tests also.

This is very difficult to determine. Sometmes cats have a blockage that cannot be loosened because the nerves feeding the urethra make the urethra cramp and then there is no way for the blockage to loosen. When your kitty was dead, the whole body relaxed completely and this also relaxed the urethra holding on to the blockage and might have released the blockage. But this is only theory. Without having seen your kitty when he was blocked and afterwards, there is no way I can determine that they were wrong. Under normal circumstances we ansthesize the cat, and insert a catheter with a special technique that pushes the obstruction back into the bladder and so frees the urethra. This does not always work. I am so sorry for your loss.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Jack! Cushings disease is VERY rare in cats. I think it is unlikely that the mass is Cushing's disease. In a dog Cushings disease can cause liver enlargement and if it is the adrenal form there is an adrenal tumor but the more common form is pituitary. The most common cause of masses in the belly of cats are: enlarged lymph nodes (lymphoma), intestinal masses (lympoma, adenocarcinoma), or kidney tumors. Consider an abdominal ultrasound to get more information so you know what Jack is dealing with that way you can make informed decisions about his care. I hope this helps and I wish you and Jack the best!

I'm sorry to hear Rusty is having problems urinating. She could have a urinary tract infection, urinary crystals, or potentially cystitis, which is inflammation of the bladder. I would also be concerned about gas and/or constipation as this can make a cat's abdomen look distended. I would recommend you take Rusty in for an exam with your veterinarian. She likely needs to have her urine checked and her abdomen palpated. Normally we can feel most of the organs in a cat's abdomen. After a good physical exam and abdominal palpation, your vet should be able to have a better idea as to what is going on with her abdomen and how to proceed. Sometimes we need to use further imaging, like x-rays or ultrasound if we can't feel what is going on. My hope is that it's a simple infection that can be treated with some antibiotics. Good luck!

This sounds like he has a serious medical problem. He could be in renal failure, have an infectious disease like feline leukemia or aids, or this could be a sign of cancer. Regardless, I recommend a veterinary exam. They may do lab tests or X-rays to diagnose his medical condition and then they can start treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Sebastian.

If she has been swollen around her bladder, then this could just be an actually problem like a hernia or something benign like a fat pad. Since she is vomiting and then swelling has been there for awhile now, I would have her checked out at least once to ensure it looks okay. Your vet will be able to tell you whether it is anything to worry with or just to continue to watch. The vomiting could be a complication of a hernia or a different problem like hairballs, eating food too fast, an infection, etc. I hope this helps!