My dog has ascites, isn't eating, and his stomach is still big.

Normal water is absolutely fine and does not affect the retention of fluids in the abdomen. The exact mechanism/cause of the ascites should be ideally understood to have appropriate treatment options. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

This is a great question, and thanks for taking such good care of Chloe! Salt is added to most dog food to improve the flavor, and it is not common to have variable amounts depending on the food. We do not recommend salt restricted foods unless a dog is already in Congestive Heart Failure, at the recommendation of your veterinarian. What is most important for Chloe is that you are feeding a high quality diet that helps her have a healthy coat and normal, formed feces. Hope this helps!

I also had an incidence one where my dog drank a lot of salt water at the beach, but she unfortunately vomited all in my car! Good idea to keep him hydrated, and it's a good sign that he is eating drinking, and playing with his toys. I would try to rest Whiskey tonight, and have him stay as quiet as possible so his stomach can heal up from the salt water. Should he start vomiting, the diarrhea continues, he becomes lethargic, he stops eating, or shows any concerning symptoms, I would have him seen by a vet right away. Hopefully, however, this will pass relatively quickly.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. Ascites is commonly the result of heart failure in a dog. It can also be related to cancer in the abdomen, uncontrolled bleeding, low blood protein levels or bladder rupture. I hope this information helps.

Poor Rascal! I recommend having him skip one meal to allow his stomach time to settle. Continue to offer him fresh water, and if you notice vomiting/diarrhea/ lack of appetite or decreased energy, I recommend seeing your vet. Sometimes unusual or new foods (especially salty foods like pretzels) can be upsetting to a dog's stomach, and it's important to get vet care for Rascal if you notice theses signs to help prevent the risk of dehydration and worsening of his symptoms. See the link below for more information on the harmful effects of too much salt https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/salt/

I'm sorry that Krispy is having this issue. Unfortunately, we cannot tell you what is wrong with him just by looking at the photos. It does look like he could have ascites. Did they do an abdominal tap to get fluid for analysis? If not, that would be the next step. Ascites can be from liver disease or heart disease. Did they check his heart? Do you have x-rays you could post? Blood testing can also help figure out what is going on. Do you have any blood test results? I'm sorry but we cannot really be of much help without more information. You could always take Krispy to another vet for a second opinion.

Poor Rocky! It sounds like he is in both right and left sided heart failure. With right-sided heart failure fluid builds up in the abdomen. In some cases we could actually remove this fluid through inserting a needle in the abdomen under the guidance of an ultrasound. Your veterinarian may be able to do this for you and I would discuss this with them. While we know that the fluid will build back up it often provides comfort/relief to the animal. I recommend calling your veterinarian to discuss what can be done to make sure Rocky is comfortable as the fluid is not getting resorbed on its own.