My dog has a swollen stomach, black poop, and lethargy after vet?

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.

I am very sorry to hear about your dog. She definitely needs to go see a veterinarian as soon as possible. Swelling of the abdomen as you describe can be from many causes including fluid buildup in the abdomen (due to things such as heart disease, liver disease, low protein levels due to kidney loss or intestinal loss or severe intestinal parasitism), tumors in the abdomen as well as tumors that are bleeding or oozing into the abdomen. The vet will palpate your dog's belly and may recommend testing including a fecal test to check for parasites and bacteria, an x-ray to look for fluid and tumors, and bloodwork to check protein and red and white blood cell levels.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Gilda. I recommend that she sees a veterinarian today. Tarry stool can indicate digested blood from the upper gastrointestinal tract. This is most commonly due to an intestinal infection from parasites or a viral infection such as the parvovirus. This can be diagnosed with with fecal testing. I hope this information helps!

Hi there. Fank's symptoms indicate severe abdominal pain. This could be due to a hernia, a blockage or infection. I would recommend taking him to your vet asap and have some xrays and blood work performed and get Frank started on treatments. I hope that helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Fluid accumulation in the abdomen is often secondary to heart disease (valvular disease, heart worms, cardiomyopathy) ..or...some type of malignancy. Tumors in the abdominal cavity can sometimes be associated with fluid build up. It is important to do some additional diagnostic tests. Survey radiographs to start, then it may be advised to move on to an ultrasound....either of the heart or if the abdomen depending on radiograph findings. The ultrasound can be particularly helpful in cases like this where fluid accumulation reduces the ability to see vital structures on radiographs. This most likely had nothing to do with a case of overeating. There is likely some disease process that has been going on for some time. I hope you can get some answers soon. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, sorry to hear about Prince. It sounds like he may have right sided heart disease in which the blood backs up into his veins and the vascular fluid begins to leak out of the vessels. This generally leads to fluid in the belly causing abdominal distention, fluid in the chest, and subcutaneous fluid. Other causes of 3rd spacing can be associated with a low protein level either due to liver disease or loss of protein through the kidneys or bowel. It sounds like prince needs to have a full evaluation of his vital organs and this may include bloodwork, an abdominal ultrasound, a heart ultrasound, and blood pressure monitoring. Ultimately, Prince may need to be evaluated by his veterinarian or an internist to determine why he is having fluid accumulation outside of his vasculature. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Poor Cotton! I'm sorry to hear that he's not feeling well. Unfortunately, this sounds like quite a serious problem. A swollen abdomen can be caused by a number of different things, including heart disease, liver disease, internal bleeding. or an abdominal tumor of some kind. His rear leg issues could be caused by some type of neurologic problem, or could be due to overall weakness due to whatever is causing the abdominal swelling. Lethargy is a very vague symptom that could be caused by almost any kind of illness. I would recommend taking Cotton to the vet for an exam right away, as this may be a life-threatening problem. Your veterinarian can do blood work and x-rays or an abdominal ultrasound if needed to help diagnose the problem and get him started on appropriate treatment.