How to Judge Cat Ascites

Cat ascites can be preliminarily judged by the clinical symptoms of the cat, and diagnosis requires taking the cat to a pet hospital for abdominal ultrasound examination or puncture examination. After the cat suffers from ascites, symptoms such as lethargy, loss of appetite, abdominal enlargement, and increased body temperature will appear. Abdominal palpation will have a significant fluctuation, but mild ascites is generally not palpable and needs to be combined with relevant imaging examinations. Moderate or severe ascites can see a significant enlargement of the abdomen, presenting in an inverted pear shape.

1. Preliminary Judgment through Clinical Symptoms

After a cat has ascites, it will exhibit symptoms such as decreased appetite, lethargy, edema of the lower limbs, increased body temperature, diarrhea, and possibly drooping of the third eyelid. The cat's abdominal circumference will significantly increase, and it may also present with abdominal ridges, weight loss, vomiting, difficulty walking, and increased abdominal pressure, which can lead to accelerated breathing, even difficulty breathing and an increase in pulse rate.

2. Diagnosis Requires Radiography and Ultrasound Examination

The diagnosis of cat ascites mainly relies on radiography and ultrasound examination, which can also be confirmed through puncture examination. When relevant clinical symptoms are observed in a cat, it is best to seek medical confirmation promptly. If the abdominal cavity is full of ascites, the radiological examination will show that the organs in the abdominal cavity cannot be seen, and puncture examination can reveal bloody ascites.

Cat ascites requires a definitive diagnosis through characteristic clinical symptoms combined with abdominal puncture and X-ray examination, and it needs to be distinguished from diseases such as obesity and pyometra in cats.

3. What Are the Differences Between a Fat Cat's Belly and Ascites?

The differences between a fat cat's belly and ascites can be distinguished by shape, touch, and appetite. A fat cat's belly is characterized by increased abdominal fat, generally presenting as a redundant appearance, while ascites usually causes the entire abdomen to enlarge, resembling an inverted pear shape. In addition, a fat cat's belly is usually accompanied by increased appetite, while ascites usually leads to decreased or absent appetite in cats. Lastly, when gently slapping the abdomen of a fat cat, there is no feeling of liquid fluctuation, while ascites palpation will have a significant fluctuation.

The main causes of cat ascites include long-term malnutrition, liver cirrhosis, feline infectious peritonitis, and bacterial peritonitis. Due to the variety of diseases, further diagnosis is required based on abdominal ultrasound examinations.