Why is my older dog's stomach swollen, hard, and she won't eat?

Sheena should be evaluated by a veterinarian right away! If her belly is swollen she could be suffering from bloat (stomach full of air), a GDV (where the stomach bloats and turns on itself) or she could have fluid in her belly or uterus (pyometra). All of these conditions are very serious and require immediate veterinary care. I hope Sheena is doing ok! Please let us know if you have more questions.

Thank you for posting this question. There are several processes that can cause muscle wasting and distended belly. Cushings disorder is a common problem in older dogs where the body produces too much steroid hormone, but also certain types of kidney disease, liver disease, heart disease, or chronic gastrointestinal diseases can cause muscle wasting and fluid build up in the belly. Tumors can also have these signs. I would encourage you to have Buttons examined by her veterinarian to find out how best to help her. I wish her the best!

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.

Hi there. This does look a bit odd. Have your veterinarians done any x rays or bloodwork? If Sophie is not spayed and has been sick for a while I would be very concerned with a pyometra (uterine infection) with how distended that abdomen looks. If that's the case-this is an emergency and needs to be looked at right away. I hope this helps!

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.

I'm glad that Bailey seems to be feeling okay despite her new abdominal distension. The abdomen can become distended from either a mass or fluid accumulation from right sided congestive heart failure, liver failure, or cancer. Any of these conditions can progress and worsen rapidly, so I recommend taking Bailey to her vet fairly urgently for evaluation to get to the bottom of this issue. She may need to have chest and abdominal x-rays and/or ultrasound, or have a sample of fluid drained from her abdomen for analysis. I hope this helps and that all goes well for Bailey!

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!