My dog's stomach is distended. What could be wrong while I wait for results?

Poor Coco! That much distension in the stomach can indicate fluid (ascites) in the abdomen or an enlarged abdominal organ like the liver. These problems can develop secondary to heart disease, liver failure, low protein levels, severe GI parasites, and cancer. I'd recommend taking Coco to see a veterinarian right away as he needs blood work and X-rays to know why this is happening. This is a true medical emergency as many of the causes of a distended stomach can be life threatening. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I am hoping Coco has an easy recovery!

Hi there. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Sorry that Nexa is having this issue. What you have done so far was perfect! Good job! A distended abdomen can be due to many things. Here is a list of some possibilites: 1. constipation 2. bloat - I agree that after 12 hours this is unlikely 3. abdominal mass/tumor 4. abdominal fluid (ascites) 5. pyometra - infected uterus; common since she is not spayed I would be worried about this even though she seems to be "normal". If it is an "open" pyometra she may not be feeling as ill as if it were "closed". 6. internal parasites (ie: roundworms, hookworms, etc) Those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. I suggest you get Nexa to your vet for an exam. Some simple blood testing and a couple x-rays could rule in/out most of the things I have listed above. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

My first question is whether your veterinarian tapped the abdomen to get a sample of the fluid....if so... what was it. With sudden abdominal distension, low red blood cell count I would be most concerned about a bleeding tumor. The fact that liver enzymes were elevated days following a steroid injection is hard to evaluate because the steroid injection wound cause a spike in the liver values....so were they elevated to start with or only following steroid administration. The best thing to do here is have an abdominal ultrasound and collect fluid. If the fluid is blood...there is likely a bleeding tumor. If the fluid is not blood....she may have right sided heart disease (heart worms or other cause), some type of cancerous process somewhere or other chronic metabolic disease. If you are uncertain about your veterinarian, ask for a referral for an ultrasound or seek a second opinion. I hope you find some answers . Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Since Timberblynn is an older girl, I would be worried about the possibility of some type of cancer causing her clinical signs. She may have a mass causing enlargement of one or many of her abdominal organs, such as her liver, and leading to her feeling sick and vomiting. I recommend making an appointment with your veterinarian to have her seen. Your vet can perform an exam and see if he/she can palpate any masses or organ abnormalities. Your vet may also recommend bloodwork and/or imaging to see any changes in her abdomen. In the meantime, you can try offering her a bland diet suck as boiled chicken and rice, however I feel strongly that she should see your veterinarian. I hope this is helpful!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. It is difficult to say just from a picture what is wrong with Flower. If you think Flower's belly is bloated / enlarged, I would have a veterinarian examine her and have x-rays taken of her abdomen. Things that would make a belly distend range from fluid in the abdomen, large amounts of gas (bloat) and tumors. 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.

This is worrisome - a distended abdomen could be a sign that there is free fluid present in the abdomen secondary to something like liver disease or even cancer. An organ could be enlarged as well. There are some diseases that can cause weakness of the muscles of the abdomen that could lead it to appear enlarged as well. If you are almost but not 100% positive that she is not pregnant of course that could be another cause as well. I would recommend having Sadie examined by your veterinarian - they may be able to tell what is going on by palpating or feeling her abdomen or they may recommend other testing like x-rays or blood work.

It could be that he is accumulating some fluid in his abdomen. This could be from low protein, cancer, liver disease or heart disease. It could also be that his liver or another internal organ such as his spleen is markedly enlarged. Or, it could be nothing, and he's just changed the way he carries some of his weight over time and there is not an issue. The only way to find out is to take him to the vet. Since he's acting normal and otherwise doing well, and you can't afford it right now, I don't think you need to stress too much over it. When its possible financially , get him to the vet. If he starts to show any symptoms of illness, make it a priority to get him in as soon as you can. thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!