What do you make of this?? Copper again...

by **msvette2u** » May 4th, 2006, 11:27 am

Copper was on reduced food for a few weeks to try to get his weight under control. We gave him a total of 1/4 cup of food twice a day.
Well over this past few days, 4 or 5 day I guess, his abdomen looks really swollen and he's not getting into anything that we can detect. The first time I saw it I went to the food bins and checked them and unless he can replace lids, he hasn't stolen food. But. now..his tummy looks like this...???

It isn't hard.
I will take him in to the vet but what should she do? I mean the tests she should order?? So many vets in this area won't do anything, will charge you for an office call and tell you to "watch them". My cat, for instance, I took in and she had conjuntivitis and the vet missed it totally. She suffered for over a month like that before another vet treated it...we just thought it was a congeniital problem!!
Anyway I don't want to waste my money bringing him for nothing - what tests should he get?

by **a-bull** » May 4th, 2006, 11:58 am

hmmmm, I think I'd bring him to the vet---that belly looks a bit too soft and swollen for a guy on such a small amount of food, (even if he is a little guy). Maybe there's some other internal reason why he can't drop weight?

He looks uncomfortable, and those guys with that long spine and short legs really don't need extra weight.

Good luck with him---he's a little dolly---and let us know.

by **a-bull** » May 4th, 2006, 12:01 pm

ooo, and maybe try posting his pic on here?

http://www.hotdogblog.com/modules/newbb ... hp?forum=7

or another weenie dog

forum that has a health section??

by **msvette2u** » May 4th, 2006, 12:18 pm

Thank you!!
He had dropped weight, noticeably, on the reduction diet (regular food just less of it!) so the swelling now seems particularly odd to us...

by **a-bull** » May 4th, 2006, 12:37 pm

Can dog bellies swell if they're undernourished like people??

by **msvette2u** » May 4th, 2006, 12:54 pm

I don't know...he was really getting toward what I'd call a "good weight" for him...he steals so much food (remember the chocolate bunny?) that we were getting desperate, and he was really starting to gain...he weighed more at the vet, a year after we got him, than he did the DAY we got him! :shock:

And I thought he was chunky THEN...

by **Malli** » May 4th, 2006, 12:55 pm

I'd take him in. Is he acting oddly? It makes me nervous looking at that pic. Though I don't know all the symptoms etc I worry that the worst result is his intestines may have flipped (I won't type the tecnical word for it because at the Animal hosp. it is a "jinx" and they've trained me well! (I know, it seems weird for all these scientific people to be superstitious eh?)
They'll perhaps want exrays as well.

Please let us know what they say.

Malli

by **msvette2u** » May 4th, 2006, 12:57 pm

Yes he's acting odd, not sick necessarily but just strange. Remember we thought it was his back, well sometimes he yelps when we touch him. I haven't found a good vet for Xrays of his spine but if I take him in I'm sure she'll want xrays of SOMEthing..

by **a-bull** » May 4th, 2006, 12:57 pm

I dug around a little, and I'm not seeing that dog bellies swell like people, so . . .

Oh yeah---he's the chocholate bunny man, right?? Like I said, it happens every year, and don'tcha know, mine just grabbed one two days ago that rolled off the counter . . . he ate the foil and half the egg before I told him to drop it and did the bone 'swap-out.' :twisted:

by **a-bull** » May 4th, 2006, 1:07 pm

I guess Cushings Disease is common in Dachshunds . . . just a thought regarding his appetite and his belly . . .

by **Malli** » May 4th, 2006, 1:12 pm

I'd have her run a Full blood work up. Most times you can get an inclination of what might be wrong from there, and then know if further tests are necessary. It won't be cheap though, in canada a Total Body Panel is about $185
Xrays are cheap either :rolleyes2:

I'm sorry my ideas aren't more cost effective

Malli

by **a-bull** » May 4th, 2006, 2:57 pm

Good advice.

by **ParisStreetPitCrew** » May 4th, 2006, 3:07 pm

My parent's geriatric mini-schnauzer has a pot-belly like that, and it is Cushing's. I believe that was determined by some sort of blood panel test.

Good luck with your silly hot dog.

by **msvette2u** » May 4th, 2006, 3:12 pm

Hm...interesting!! Maybe I'll bring him just for the bloodwork. She was concerned about his thyroid anyway...

by **turtle** » May 4th, 2006, 3:19 pm

Yes, the blood work is a good idea. His belly being swollen like that does not look good and if he's acting odd... Yeah, I'd get him checked out.

Good luck and I hope he's fine, just plump.

by **pocketpit** » May 4th, 2006, 4:22 pm

Cushings can cause an abodomen like that and is common in Doxies. Acites is the term for fluid build up in the abdomen. It causes a very soft swelling and often if you push on it, tap it, or jiggle it a little you can detect a "wave" or sloshing effect.
Tumors and other conditions can also cause this so I'd have a full blood workup done as well as a set of x-rays.

by **msvette2u** » May 4th, 2006, 6:32 pm

He's not thirsty like they described on the Cushing's websites...when he stands up though, his tummy looks OK. It's when he lays down and relaxes that it sorta bulges out like that. I swear - two weeks ago it wasn't happening like that though, were were commenting on how much slimmer/better he was looking...