The inflammatory process that occurs in the dog’s peritoneum has received the medical name “dog peritonitis”. Pathology is most often transmitted from affected internal organs. The disease is quite serious, threatens the health of the pet with serious complications and even death. Breeders note a pet’s body temperature, reaching the maximum mark. Also, the animal may experience pain shock, due to which it loses consciousness. During the examination, the doctor often reveals fluid in the abdominal cavity of various etiologies. If the exudate has a fibrinous or purulent character, then an acute course of the disease is posed, which represents the greatest danger.
Stages of the disease
From scratch, peritonitis cannot occur in a healthy animal. The reasons can be different and the process, depending on them, takes an acute course or a chronic course.
Chronic pathology is diagnosed in a dog against tuberculosis. Also, a similar course of the disease often passes from the acute stage. According to veterinarians, it is very difficult to diagnose such a problem, due to the fact that it does not have pronounced symptoms.
Acute peritonitis occurs against the background of damage to the digestive organs, bladder, uterus or ovaries. The disease is also diagnosed with inflammation of the gallbladder and ducts.
Peritonitis: causes
Factors that trigger the start of the pathological process, veterinarians emit a large number. However, the main ones are not so many:
- Mechanical damage to the abdominal organs, which leads to the inflammatory process.
- Complications after surgery. A similar reason is the most common. But the doctor is not always to blame. Often, dog breeders themselves do not adhere to the rules of care and rehabilitation for a pet after the intervention, so microorganisms penetrate the peritoneum when the sutures break, causing acute inflammation.
- Perforation of the intestinal tract or walls of the stomach. A similar pathology occurs with multiple helminthic infestations, when the breeder starts the problem. Parasites literally break through the walls of the internal organs and fill the entire abdominal cavity.
- Infectious diseases. Peritonitis in dogs, according to clinical studies, often occurs against the background of sepsis and general intoxication of the body.
In addition to the above reasons, the onset of pathology can lead to illiterate surgical intervention, when the doctor does not follow the rules of disinfection. Therefore, it is so important to contact only specialized veterinary clinics.
Symptoms of a formidable disease
Any specialist and experienced breeder knows that the clinical picture of inflammation is so vivid that it is almost impossible not to notice the signs. The dog does not eat and is sluggish, while the pet neatly gets up and lies down. His gait changes and the animal is always tense, due to the fact that the dog constantly experiences acute pain. He squeals with every movement and limbs moves with great effort.
If you palpate the abdominal cavity, then the hardness of the walls does not allow a specialist to assess the condition of the internal organs and establish an accurate diagnosis. In addition, the animal, when trying to touch the abdomen, becomes nervous and aggressive.
When examining a pet by a veterinarian, it is necessary to find out what the dog's body temperature is. The breeder does not need to take measurements at home, the doctor will do everything on his own. With the development of acute peritonitis, indicators rise to critical levels, which is 40 degrees or more. However, the paw pads, ears and nose remain cold. If the breeder has found such signs in his pet, he should immediately show the dog to a specialist. Procrastination is fatal.
The acute course of the disease entails changes in the nature of excrement. Natural secretions become putrefactive odor and incomprehensible color. The belly sags, the pet shows signs of dehydration and pallor of the mucous membranes.
What should a breeder pay attention to?
Any dog ​​owner should know the hallmarks of the disease in order to take action in time and prevent serious consequences. Veterinarians identify the following signs of an acute illness:
- The dog does not eat and is listless.
- A sharp depletion occurs.
- There is a weakness.
- Breathing becomes rapid.
- Decreased blood pressure.
- Vomiting of bile appears in the dog.
- The temperature rises sharply.
However, experts warn that a dog with peritonitis may also experience a drop in body temperature. If there are symptoms characteristic of the disease, then a similar sign indicates a life-threatening ailment.
Medical details
Experts know that peritonitis is a serious disease that threatens the dog's life. With this pathology, nerve endings are concentrated, concentrated in large numbers in the peritoneal region. Under the influence of pathogenic microorganisms, pain impulses lead to excitation of the nervous system. As a result of constant and acute pain, the dog is depleted, and it can lose consciousness.
Under the influence of vasospasm, blood stagnates and swelling appears. The heart muscle also suffers, which does not receive the necessary substances and cannot fully perform its functions. Exudate with purulent impurities accumulates in the peritoneum, so the abdominal cavity turns into a real focus of inflammation, where the walls are detached and ulcers appear.
Outwardly, such symptoms manifest themselves in the form of increased thirst and immediate vomiting. In animals, immunity is weakened, so there is practically no natural resistance to the disease. But the walls of the peritoneum intensely absorb liquid, which leads to an even greater pathological process. Therefore, it is so important to limit the use of food and even water during treatment. Any fluid entering the stomach causes necrosis on its walls and the accumulation of ulcers, causing intestinal obstruction.
Forms of the disease
Peritonitis in a dog can be diagnosed in various forms. Pathology is distinguished by the nature of exudate and the location of localization:
- The local form of the disease. It begins gradually, on the general condition of the pet is not reflected. But covering more and more new sites leads to serious problems.
- Vast or spilled form. Pathology is the most common. The danger lies in the complexity of the treatment.
- Putrid form. The disease is diagnosed with extensive detection of parasites, exacerbation of ulcerative processes, as a result of mechanical injuries and a violation of the water-electrolyte balance.
- Fibrous form. Initially, exudate appears in the abdominal cavity in small quantities. But entering into a reaction with protein components, leads to the fusion of internal organs and their inflammation.
- Hemorrhagic form. Diagnosed with malfunctions of the circulatory system. Blood enters the abdominal cavity from the affected vessels and causes a severe inflammatory process.
- Serous form. A specialist diagnoses such a pathology when too much exudate accumulates in the abdominal cavity.
Depending on the nature and course of the disease, the veterinarian selects a method of treatment.
Diagnostic measures
If the animal has signs of disease, you should immediately contact a veterinary clinic. Any specialist knows that peritonitis in a dog develops rapidly and can quickly lead to death.
In the clinic, a specialist will collect all the necessary medical history. Therefore, it is advisable to prepare and tell the doctor about past illnesses, injuries and other features of the pet.
Deciphering a blood test in dogs is very important. Biochemical tests will allow the doctor to identify the causes of the development of the disease and prescribe the appropriate treatment. It is equally important to conduct exudate tests. A long needle is used for this. In a sterile environment and the use of local anesthesia, the doctor takes part of the fluid from the abdominal cavity. Then conducts a thorough study of it. In the absence of such a possibility, an ultrasound scan of the abdominal cavity of the dog is mandatory.
Treatment methods
The disease poses a great danger to the health and life of a pet. You can not ignore the signs of peritonitis, because any delay is fraught with changes in the condition of the pet every minute.
If the decoding of a blood test in dogs revealed an uncomplicated course of the disease, then the animal is prescribed complete starvation. In addition, with the help of special tools, a solution is introduced into the belly of the dog, which reduces the signs of intoxication. The exudate is pumped out and a course of therapy is appointed, aimed at restoring the work of the heart muscle.
If the disease was provoked by ruptures of internal organs, open wounds and endometriosis, then only surgery is indicated. The specialist conducts the intervention under general anesthesia. During the manipulation, all foci of inflammation are removed and special sutures are applied. After this, it is imperative to undergo a course of antibiotics to exclude the attachment of a secondary bacterial infection.
Adjunctive therapy
Regardless of the causes of peritonitis, and treatment tactics, the doctor prescribes immunostimulants to the animal. Among effective drugs, there are:
- "Immunophore";
- "Hamovit";
- Katozal.
An important point in the treatment of peritonitis is physiotherapy. The doctor prescribes compresses for the abdominal cavity and warming up with a blue Minin lamp. However, the frequency of use and the duration of such procedures are prescribed only by a doctor, based on the tactics of treatment and the nature of the disease.
Peritonitis in a dog: prognosis
Only timely contact to the veterinary clinic if the animal detects signs of the disease being studied can protect the pet from serious consequences and even death. The prognosis for a local type of disease in most cases is favorable.
If extensive lesions are diagnosed, then the doctors admit an unfavorable course of the disease and accurate forecasts are not taken. Everything will depend on the general state of the pet’s health, its age and time for seeking help. Therefore, it is so important not to ignore the bloated belly of the dog and immediately show it to the doctor to clarify the cause of this symptom.
Preventive actions
To avoid the development of peritonitis, it is necessary to give the dog a lot of attention and surround it with care. Following a number of rules, it is quite possible to maintain the health of your pet for many years. In doing so, the following rules must be observed:
- provide full and fresh nutrition;
- observe the regime of rest, hygiene procedures and walks;
- Do not accustom the dog to various sweet foods, especially chocolate;
- timely deworming, also carry out treatment against fleas and ticks;
- according to the schedule of vaccinations, vaccination on time;
- Do not self-medicate if you have symptoms of a disease of the gastrointestinal tract.
If the breeder has found suspicious signs in the pet, it is recommended that you contact a certified veterinarian. Only in the conditions of the hospital can you carry out all the necessary studies, therapeutic measures and pass laboratory tests. It is impossible to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment only on the basis of the appearance of the dog.
Self-medication is dangerous
Four-legged and tailed pets add a lot of joy and positive to the life of any family. But unfortunately, animals, like humans, are also susceptible to the development of many diseases with a hereditary predisposition or poor care.
There are pathologies that can be cured at home. But peritonitis is one of the diseases requiring inpatient treatment. If you do not go to the veterinarian and rely on tips from the Internet or folk remedies, then the dog is more likely to die.
Conclusion
Experts warn that even with the right treatment, the prognosis is not always favorable. Therefore, it is so important to carefully monitor the pet’s health, regularly vaccinate against dangerous diseases, prevent the multiplication of parasites and regularly conduct preventive examinations. If the dog underwent surgical intervention, then the rehabilitation period is no less important than the procedure itself. Recovery completely depends on care.