Ascites in cats: description, possible causes and characteristics of treatment

Ascites in cats are inflammatory in nature and are caused by the accumulation of fluid in the body of the animal. The disease, called still abdominal dropsy, is not primary, because it is the result of prolonged illnesses. Often it causes problems with protein and water-salt metabolism, inactivity, various liver diseases and impaired blood circulation. If you do not start treatment of ascites in time, the likelihood of cardiovascular failure is high. Lack of therapy leads to death.

Description of the disease

Ascites in cats are a chronic disease. It is associated with the difficult resorption of peritoneal fluid into the circulatory system, as a result of which it accumulates in the peritoneum.

This disease is quite dangerous, so treatment should be started as soon as possible. The development of the disease individually, sometimes the volume of the transudate may increase to 2 liters per day.

Most often there is ascites of the abdominal cavity in older cats, exhausted and exhausted.

Causes

Ascites in cats have a fairly large list of causes. Still, more closely should be treated animals, leading a sedentary lifestyle. Experts have noticed that cats walking on the street are less likely to suffer from this disease. In addition, renal and heart failure leads to the accumulation of fluid in the body of the animal. Weak immunity and violations in the endocrine system can lead to the same result.

It is most likely that an edema will occur in an animal that has the following problems:

• Violation of water-salt and protein metabolism.
• Increased sodium concentration.
• Oncological diseases.
• Excess weight.

It is worth noting that a high concentration of salts in the blood can occur when eating too salty foods and feeding it with cheap foods containing large amounts of sodium.

Symptoms

Some diseases in animals are practically asymptomatic, while others have a clear clinical picture. The second category includes ascites in cats. Symptoms of this disease are as follows:

- Symmetrical protrusion of the peritoneum on the sides.

- Labored breathing.

- Dullness, ruffled hair.

- Shortness of breath.

- Anemia and icterus of mucous membranes.

- Edema of the extremities, the base of the auricles, the podgrudka and the perineum.

The veterinarian, in order not to confuse ascites with peritonitis, will conduct an analysis of the fluid accumulated inside the abdominal cavity. In addition, unlike peritonitis, with dropsy, body temperature does not increase.

If a large volume of fluid accumulates in the peritoneum, it is difficult to confuse ascites with other diseases. To make sure that it is hydrocele, it is necessary to put the animal in a vertical position, taking the front paws. If the stomach "stacks" down, becoming like a pear, you can say with confidence that this is ascites. In cats, whose disease is only developing, the stomach will not be so large, and overall health is quite stable. However, with the course of pathology, the condition becomes less satisfactory: appetite disappears, apathy occurs. Later, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea, flatulence, breathing becomes more frequent. Sometimes the temperature may rise.

Diagnostics

To find out whether it is possible to cure ascites in a cat, you need to make sure that it suffers from this disease. To do this, if one or more of the symptoms described earlier appear, the animal must be taken to the veterinarian. To establish the diagnosis, the specialist will perform the following tests:

- to find out what diseases are present in the animal, how long and how much the symptoms of ascites have manifested;

- will conduct an external examination, necessary in this situation;

- Will make an analysis of urine and blood;

- direct the animal to radiography and / or ultrasound of the abdominal cavity.

Treatment

Ascites in cats can be cured, but you need to remember that the disease is secondary. This means that it is necessary to tackle the stabilization of the problem that caused its appearance.

On the surgical intervention during the disease, speech practically does not go. They resort to this procedure only in extreme, especially neglected cases. Conservative treatment, maintenance of the animal's condition is a general rule in the treatment of this disease.

The most common procedure for treatment is fluid removal. This is done through a puncture in the abdominal wall. In addition, it is necessary to monitor the amount of sodium consumed by the animal. At the same time, with the help of diuretics, the release of sodium in the urine increases, which allows you to reduce the amount of fluid retained in the peritoneum.

Medications

Currently, doctors do not have drugs at their disposal that would be suitable for intensive and prolonged treatment of ascites (this applies not only to animal diseases, but also to humans). First of all, this is because the use of any of them leads to a significant loss of potassium. The appointment of high doses of a diuretic can lead to encephalopathy, which is certainly dangerous.

Diuretics that promote the preservation of potassium, can cause dyshormonal disorder. Preparations that save potassium are ineffective relative to those in which it is consumed significantly. Use these drugs is possible only in a complex. At the same time, it is necessary to limit salt intake. Human trials have shown that "Lazartan" is an excellent remedy for ascites, but this drug is difficult to use in veterinary medicine.

Liquid pumping

Drugs can not stop ascites in cats. How to treat this disease in another way? As already mentioned, it is possible to remove fluid from the peritoneum through a puncture. The danger of this process is that the accumulating liquid is not at all useless. Its loss can lead to a fatal outcome as a result of hypoxia and venous return. In addition, when it is removed, important for life substances: amino acids, immune complexes, electrolytes and proteins. This can cause a whole complex of negative consequences.

Thus, the animal, in which the ascites fluid was withdrawn, it is necessary to compensate for the loss of useful substances. This is done either by the introduction of albumin, or reinfusion of ascitic transudate. This procedure is mainly done in a hospital. To the liquid to be recovered, heparin is added in a ratio of 1: 1. Within two or three days it is administered intravenously. The liquid can be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of 3-4 degrees Celsius. It is important to remember that this liquid can be contaminated with bacteria and toxins. If such suspicions have appeared, it is necessary to carry out purification by separation and use antibiotics. However, this situation does not occur so often - in about 5-10% of cases.

Excretion of the fluid is justified and justified, in animals after this procedure, the chances are not only to prolong life, but in some cases to remission.