Feline Ascites

There are many causes for fluid accumulation in a cat's abdomen, such as infection with coronavirus, abdominal inflammatory disease, liver and kidney diseases, etc. It is recommended that owners take their cats to a pet hospital in a timely manner for relevant examinations to determine the cause of the abdominal fluid, and then proceed with appropriate treatment. If the ascites is caused by infection with coronavirus, it is usually difficult to cure.

Causes of Feline Ascites

There are mainly two causes of feline ascites. The first is non-infectious factors, including abdominal fluid from the liver or heart, cholangiohepatitis, peritonitis, tumors, and other causes. The second is infectious factors, namely feline coronavirus disease, commonly known as feline infectious peritonitis. This disease can occur at any age, but especially in cats 1-2 years old and older cats are susceptible. Cats with the disease show gradual weight loss, deteriorating condition, abdominal fluid, and eventually death.

What are the Symptoms of Feline Ascites?

The initial symptoms of feline ascites are usually not obvious, mainly manifesting as decreased mental and appetite. Later, symptoms such as abdominal distension, increased waistline, weight gain, and edema of the lower limbs appear. The abdominal wall becomes tense and shiny, resembling a frog's belly. The patient has difficulty walking, sometimes the diaphragm is significantly elevated, and respiratory distress and umbilical hernia occur. Hepatic ascites is often accompanied by pleural fluid, which is more common on the right side, resulting from the passage of hepatic ascites through the diaphragmatic lymphatic channels or valvular openings into the thoracic cavity.

How to Deal with Feline Ascites?

Ascites is a difficult disease to cure in cats. The types of abdominal fluid accumulation can be divided into exudate and transudate. Common causes of transudate include abnormal portal venous pressure due to liver disease, while exudate has numerous causes, such as malignant tumors, infectious coronavirus, and other serious diseases. Treating ascites is challenging, and conventional methods involve draining abdominal fluid to alleviate abdominal pressure, using diuretics to alleviate symptoms, and addressing the underlying cause to slow down the progression of ascites. The specific treatment plan depends on the disease characteristics.