My dog is sick with no diagnosis, should she have exploratory surgery?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Boo! I am sorry that Boo is so sick! I would assume that your Vet took Boo to surgery because they felt that she had a blockage. We always weigh the pros and cons of doing an exploratory surgery and never do it unless the evidence is strong. Sometimes we are between a rock and hard place because the animal is not improving and it is best to look and be sure that the X-rays and barium series (dye) didn't miss anything. No imaging modality is perfect. The only way to know 100% for sure there is nothing stuck is to go look. I ALWAYS warn owners, despite clear evidence, that we could go in and find nothing. It happens all the time. Personally I'd rather find nothing that have animal pass away because of an intestinal perforation from a foreign body that I could have fixed. I am very sorry that the outcome wasn't what you hoped for but I would rest assured your Vet is doing what they believe is in the best interest of Boo. I hope this helps and I wish Boo the very best!

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If xrays and general labwork have been performed already, I would start looking for other possibilities causing this with more advanced diagnostics such as an abdominal ultrasound and GI panel to begin with. Another disease they could investigate is Addison's disease. This would expand the diagnostics to the point of being able to more extensively look into what may be causing this in him. Treatment if any would depend on findings. Good luck!

Hello. I am so sorry for this diagnosis. Diagnostic tests are often very helpful, but sometimes you need to get an actual biopsy to really tell what is going on, & nothing is a substitute for a surgeon getting his eyes on a situation. Yes, it is expensive, a scary to think about surgery, but If this is something really serious, & there is a possibility that surgery can be at least partially curative, then you may have many good years with her. You might want to check out Care Credit ( https://carecredit.com ) which is a medical credit charge that can has some favorable rates to pay off an expensive procedure. I know whatever you decide, it will be best for you & Baylee. Good luck & thanks for contacting PetCoach.

Wow, poor Mello and poor you! What a tough time this is for the both of you. I would say listen to your gut instinct. If you feel something is wrong and the vet wants to do further tests, I would do them. The vet wouldn't suggest doing GI surgery if they didn't feel as well something was wrong with them. Please keep in mind that without seeing him in person, I can't say if Mellow's problems are GI or something else, but I'm sure your vet has a good reason for wanting to do this surgery. Vets do not lightly suggest going to surgery for exploratory reasons unless other less invasive tests have already been done and found inconclusive. It certainly could be he has something wrong with his GI system, and that's why the vet wants to do surgery. If you feel comfortable with doing it and truly feel something is wrong with him, then I would recommend doing the surgery. Hopefully it will give you some answers. I hope this helps, and good luck!

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.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Popy! Sadly there are too many possible causes for Popy's symptoms for me to give you an idea on prognosis. I was the Vet that answered your last question. If no tests were done we do not know what Popy's disease is. She needs blood work and at least X-rays of her belly. If tests were done then please post the results or sign up for a consult. Causes of vomiting and diarrhea are: intestinal parasites, viral or bacterial infections, foreign body (ate something that is stuck requiring surgery to remove), kidney or liver failure, cancer, pancreatitis, toxin ingestion, etc. I hope this helps and I wish you all the best!