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What causes ascites and fluid in my young puppy's abdomen?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Female | unspayed | 4.5 lbs

My 2 mths old female lab puppy has been diagnosed with ascites

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA

Veterinarian

Published on June 6th, 2017

I am so sorry that your sweet Jenny has been diagnosed with ascites. There are a few different possibilities that can cause this including but not limited to a liver shunt (the blood bypasses the liver and doesn't detox like it should), congenital heart problems, low protein, a viral infection, a bacterial infection, parasites and more. I would recommend starting with a full panel of blood work and a fecal. Depending on the results, your vet may want to send in some of the fluid from her abdomen, perform x-rays, and/or an ultrasound. I hope you all are able to resolve this and she gets better really soon! Hugs!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Lauren Jones VMD
Veterinarian
Oh dear! Ascites (fluid accumulation in the abdomen) is a clinical sign of a bigger disease condition. Some possible causes of ascites include right-sided heart failure, liver failure, portosystemic shunts, and cancer (unlikely given her age). Congenital/inherited conditions are more likely causes given Jenny's young age. Your vet will be able to perform an analysis of the fluid, or preferably send it out to the lab, so that the type of fluid present can be determined. If a heart murmur or changes on chest x-rays are seen, heart failure is more likely the cause of her ascites. Blood testing will also be helpful to raise of lower suspicion of liver diseases or shunts. I hope that all goes well for Jenny!
0Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH
Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner
Published on January 9th, 2018
The most common reasons for a dog to develop ascites include a low blood protein level (which would show up on blood work), a problem with the liver or a problem with the heart. There are a number of other causes as well, but a slightly high creatinine is not a cause of ascites. The next step that we will often perform to help diagnose a cause of ascites is to perform x-rays of the chest and abdomen. That may give us an idea about the heart and liver. If those results are inconclusive, we may then perform an ultrasound of the heart (called an echocardiogram) and and ultrasound of the abdomen.
Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that you find the source of Rootal's problem soon so he can feel better. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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