Hello,
My 3 year old boy Enzo developed Ascites about 1 month ago out of nowhere a few days after his yearly checkup. His swollen belly was initially accompanied by diarrhea, excessive drinking of water, and some vomiting which made us think he was sick. A few days later, his belly went back to a normal size and his eating/pooping/peeing habits went back to normal as well. About 1 week later his swollen belly came back. As soon as we noticed his swollen belly, we took him to the vet where they took a sample of the fluid and his blood. Blood tests came back mostly normal, but his Total Protein was at 5.5 (which seems to be in the normal range for greyhounds?) and his Albumin was at 2.0. The fluid was clear and did not indicate any inflammation. The vet recommended an ultrasound and to add boiled boneless skinless chicken to his meals. The results of the ultrasound came back normal. His liver was within normal limits for size, shape, and echogenicity and the rest of his organs (including his heart) were within normal limits. The vet started him on a course of Denamarin (to rule out liver disease), doxycycline (to rule out an infection), and a diuretic (to help manage the fluid). We just finished the course of Denamarin and Doxycycline and his Ascites has remained the same as it was when it first started. We have now scheduled a CT scan to see if something can be picked up that the ultrasound missed (blood clot perhaps?). I have been scouring the internet looking for another case of a greyhound owner who has experienced something similar and my search brought me here where I found a few threads talking about PLE which was a symptom of IBD. The ultrasound of his small intestine showed mild increased fluid within a few intestinal loops, but the wall layering and thickness throughout it was otherwise normal. We are scratching our heads over here trying to figure out the underlying cause of his Ascites and I would appreciate any responses from people who have experienced something similar or could give me advice. Thank you!