Why does my sick dog's stomach look distended and feel hard?

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.

These symptoms are very concerning for a possible organ enlargement in the abdomen or even heart disease (causes fluid build up in the belly). I would highly recommend taking Buttons in to your vet for some testing (bloodwork and radiographs) to determine the exact cause of her illness. Once we know what is going on internally then we will know what type of treatment she needs to hopefully get better. I hope Buttons is able to turn around. Best wishes and take care.

This sounds very concerning and obviously Paris has a painful stomach. Since she is an intact female there is always a chance that she has a uterine infection which would need urgent surgery, ie her uterus would need to be removed. A uterine infection can be lethal. If she is also drinking more water than usual, if there is maybe some discharge from her vulva, this would be pointing to a uterine infection (pyometra). She could also be suffering from serious intestinal parasite infection, pancreatitis, liver disease and ascites. All these conditions are serious and your dog needs to be seen by a veterinary doctor. Unfortunately it is not possible to make a diagnosis just on the basis of "hard stomach". Paris will need a "hands-on exam".

Hello. A hard bloated stomach could be due to many causes including an obstruction, pancreatitis, gastritis, liver disease, kidney disease, and other causes. An x-ray would rule out a foreign body/obstruction, however it wouldn't show a gastritis/pancreatitis. I would recommend having bloodwork done, and if she is painful and has a bloated abdomen then an ultrasound may be required. Your vet may try some medications first for pancreatitis/gastritis without getting a definitive diagnosis, as they are both treated the same. If she is still sore and bloated, I would have her seen again. Good luck with Baby.

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.

Poor Maddie! She looks like such a sweet girl! Abdominal distension or swelling can be very concerning, especially in female dogs that are not spayed as it can be a sign of a pyometra, an infection in the uterus which can be life threatening. It can also be caused by enlargement of one of her organs or a mass, or even bleeding somewhere in the abdomen. These are all critical cases and require being seen as soon as possible by a vet. Maddie may have eaten something bad for her which has made her gassy and bloated, which can be ruled out as well. I hope this helps and would be happy to answer any additional questions you may have!

Good for you for noticing that her stomach looks different! Lots of times, owners don't see things like this if their dog is still acting normal. There are a number of different things that could cause an enlarged, firm abdomen even if she doesn't have any other symptoms of a problem - in a 7-year-old Lab, some common possibilities would include an abdominal tumor of some kind, liver disease, heart disease, Cushing's disease, or internal bleeding. In many cases, dogs with these issues may not show any other symptoms at first - so the earlier you can determine the problem, the better chance there is that it can be treated successfully. I would recommend taking Yogi to the vet for an exam tomorrow. He/she can palpate her abdomen, and may recommend blood work, x-rays, and/or an abdominal ultrasound to help determine why her stomach looks enlarged and see what can be done to treat the problem.