If you share your life with a feline friend, you will surely be interested in knowing what he alth problems it may have and what you can do about it. To offer him a good quality of life, you will have to spend time with him for many reasons, among which we can highlight the fact of knowing him well and, thus, being able to easily detect if he has had any physical or mental changes that can alert us that he may be sick. For example, if you notice that your cat has a swollen belly, it may be ascites or abdominal effusion.
On our site we have already talked about ascites in dogs, but if you have a cat and are interested in learning more about this condition that also affects domestic cats, keep reading this new article and get to know detail the causes and treatment of ascites in cats
What is ascites
Also called abdominal effusion or effusion, it is not a disease in itself but rather a clinical sign that alerts us that there is a main pathology that is causing it. This condition occurs when there is an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, which may come from an osmosis leak through the blood vessels, the lymphatic system or the different organs of this part of the body.
At the first symptoms we should go to the vet promptly, since in serious cases the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen can cause problems to breathe and, in addition, the underlying cause of the abdominal effusion can be really serious and even cause the death of the animal.
Causes of ascites in cats
As we have already pointed out, abdominal effusion or effusion is a condition in which fluid accumulates in the abdomen, which is known as ascitic fluid, so the cat will have a swollen belly. This condition that occurs in the abdominal area can occur for a large number of different reasons and, for this reason, it is essential that a veterinarian perform all the necessary tests to detect the origin of this clinical sign.
Some of the main causes of abdominal fluid in felines, that is, they cause edema or accumulation of abdominal fluid, are the following:
- Right-sided congestive heart failure
- Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)
- Kidney disorders such as failure, infection, or stones
- Liver disorders, especially liver inflammation
- Disorders of blood circulation and coagulation
- Hypoproteinemia or decreased protein levels in the blood
- Bleeding tumors or abdominal cancer, especially liver and biliary
- Trauma with rupture of blood vessels and/or internal organs causing abdominal bleeding
- Urine bladder rupture
Symptoms of abdominal effusion in cats
Before we talk about the treatment of ascites in cats, we need to know more about this condition. Thus, some more details to take into account about this disease are, for example, that as abdominal effusion can be caused by various reasons, in addition to those that we will discuss below, some of the symptoms can be specific to each cause, which helps in the differential diagnosis to know the true origin of the condition.
Among the main symptoms of abdominal fluid in cats are the following:
- Swollen abdomen
- Lethargy and apathy
- Pain when moving and lying down
- Increased weight
- Loss of appetite
- Anorexy
- Vomiting
- Tenths of fever
- Moans and Moans
- Pain and sensitivity to touch
- Muscular weakness
- Difficulty breathing
In advanced cases of this he alth problem, swelling of the scrotum in males and the vulva in females may occur. In addition, if apart from inflammation in the abdomen, the same is observed in the chest, it could also be a pleural effusion, that is, an accumulation of fluid in the pleura around the lungs.
Diagnosis of abdominal effusion in cats
To diagnose abdominal effusion, the veterinarian must perform a complete physical exam and analyze ascitic fluid previously extracted and thus also find the cause. In addition, there are more tests that must be done to be sure not only that it is an abdominal effusion and not something else, but also to ensure what is the reason for it. These other feline ascites tests are as follows:
- Abdominal ultrasound
- Abdominal x-ray
- Urine analysis
- Blood test
- Crops
Treatment of ascites in cats
The treatment of feline abdominal effusion depends entirely on the main disease or problem that caused it. For example, if there is an infection, it should be treated with antibiotics, if the cause is trauma, the possibility of surgery should be assessed.immediately due to all the risk involved in the situation and, if there is a tumor, appropriate treatment or surgery will have to be considered. But, in any of the cases for which there is an abdominal edema, the treatment to be followed should be indicated by the specialist veterinarian.
Something that is always done to relieve the animal while it is being treated is to drain the ascitic fluid, not just a little to analyze it but as much as possible every few hours or days depending on the case. In addition, whether cats with this condition are hospitalized or at home, they should be fed a low-s alt diet since it promotes retention of liquids and in this case we seek the opposite effect. For this reason, in certain cases in which the state of the kidneys allows it, the specialist can prescribe diuretics
Prevention of abdominal effusion in felines
After knowing the causes and treatment of ascites in cats, and more details, you will surely want to know how to prevent a swollen belly in your cat for this problem. But, really, Total prevention of this he alth problem is not possible, since there are many possible causes of it. Thus, we can only take some precautions that help us reduce the risk of this condition appearing in our pet:
- Follow the cat vaccination schedule
- Do not let your cat leave the house without control or surveillance on your part
- Watch the windows and balconies of the house to avoid falls
- Do not medicate your cat on your own, always consult the vet
- Feed your pet with some of the best feed
