Peritonitis in dogs: what you need to know

Everyone knows that when it comes to health, prevention is always better than cure, and for this there is nothing better than being well informed. Our pets, unfortunately, cannot clearly warn us that something bad is happening to them when they get sick or contract a certain infection. Thus, It is our responsibility as owners to know some of the most common dog diseases, their symptoms and how to prevent them. and above all, take them to the vet for periodic checkups.

One of the most common diseases in dogs is peritonitis. Peritonitis is an inflammation of the serous membrane lining the inside of the animal’s abdominal cavity. and this causes severe irritation in this area. This membrane is called the peritoneum (hence the name of the disease) and is responsible for absorbing fluids that should not be filtered into the anatomical area.

Types of peritonitis

This condition is one of the most serious that dogs can experience, but depending on the cause, the development of the abnormality and its outcome can vary widely. Initially, depending on the presence or absence of bacteria and viruses, Peritonitis is divided into septic (presence of bacteria) and nonseptic (absence of bacteria).. As part of non-septic ones, they were divided into two groups:

• Neoplastic peritonitis : those that arise due to the release of tumor contents into the abdominal cavity, which causes a change in the serous membrane and leads to its inflammation.
• Chemical peritonitis : They are caused by a spill of blood, bile, urine or pancreatic enzymes.

However, Currently, this disease has a simpler classification based on the process that causes the change. Thus, peritonitis may be primary if the change in the membrane develops in the peritoneum; secondary, if the inflammation is caused by a change in the remaining internal organs that make up the abdominal cavity; and tertiary when dealing with tumor rupture, neoplastic effusions, and trauma.

Some causes of inflammation of the peritoneum

First of all, you should know that There is no way to prevent this disease from occurring.. However, the sooner symptoms are detected and contacted by a veterinarian, the sooner pets can be treated and the sooner they will recover.

Your dog may develop peritonitis due to reasons such as abdominal trauma.due to a bacterial infection, due to inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), due to narrowing of the gallbladder ducts (stenosis), due to the development of some type of cancer, or even due to abdominal surgery.

Symptoms and diagnosis of peritonitis

Given that peritonitis cannot be prevented, it is important to be aware and alert to possible symptoms that your pet may experience. The most common symptoms of this disease are:

• loss of appetite
• Abdominal pain
• diarrhea
• vomit
• Heat
• Lethargy
• Bloating

They do not have to occur at the same time, so if any of them are present, it is best to contact your veterinarian for certain tests that will allow you to clear up any doubts as soon as possible.

The veterinarian will run tests on dogs if they show symptoms of peritonitis. will consist of a physical examination, x-ray, ultrasound which makes it possible to observe the liver and, in most cases, They will also conduct a blood, urine and general blood test..

A blood test will let us know if our dog’s liver enzyme levels are high and if there is bile in our dog’s urine. On the other hand, with the help of ultrasound and x-ray, the veterinarian will be able to observe whether there is a bile leak in the liver. All of these tests will help you accurately diagnose whether your dog is suffering from peritonitis, its type, and its severity..

Treatment of peritonitis

Peritonitis can be localized or generalized, which would mean it is more or less severe. Thus, Treatment of the disease will directly depend on the type of peritonitis your pet suffers from and its severity.. In any case, any treatment for peritonitis must treat the infection of the disease (if any), must stabilize the physiological constants of the animal, and finally must identify and eliminate the cause of the problem. In cases where, for example, fluid accumulation occurs and drainage of the abdominal cavity is necessary, the animal must undergo surgical intervention..

Anyway, the best way to anticipate a possible disease such as peritonitis -which can be very serious and painful for pets- is that you do not miss regular visits to the veterinarian and are aware of the symptoms of this disease.. Knowing the symptoms and visiting your veterinarian immediately will allow, if your dog is suffering from this disease, to begin treatment earlier and therefore his recovery will be easier and faster.