Abdominal distension
From Felipedia
Abdominal distension in cats can be categorised as being caused by a multitude of 'Fs':
- fluid (ascites; usually FIP in kittens and nephrotic syndrome in adults)
- flatus (gas)
- fat (obesity)
- feces (constipation)
- flab (muscle weakness often seen with Cushing's syndrome)
- foetus (pregnancy)
and
- tumefaction (tumors; usually alimentary lymphosarcoma).
Miscellaneous causes of abdominal distension in cats include:
| Anomaly | Intrahepatic arteriovenous fistula, portal vein atresia/hypoplasia, Inherited coagulation defects, umbilical or inguinal hernia |
| Metabolic | hepatic lipidosis |
| Neoplastic | abdominal lymphoma, visceral mast cell tumour, solid tumours, neoplasia obstructing lower urinary tract |
| Idiopathic | megacolon, Bartonella spp infection, hepatic amyloidosis, hepatic necrosis, hepatic cirrhosis, gastric-dilation volvulus, perirenal pseudocysts, right-sided heart failure, extra-uterine foetuses, Budd-Chiari-like syndrome, idiopathic chylous ascites |
| Inflammation | gastroenteritis, non-suppurative cholangiohepatitis, pancreatitis, pneumoperitoneum, steatitis, granulomatous urethritis and urethral stricture, glomerulonephritis, nephrotic syndrome, sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis |
| Infectious | FIP, septic peritonitis, intestinal tuberculosis, leptospirosis, hepatic abscess, toxoplasmosis, Abdominal flukes (Paragonimus spp, Eurytrema procyonis, Platynosomum fastosum) |
| Iatrogenic | fluid overload |
| Toxic | anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning |
| Trauma | traumatic haemorrhage, traumatic rupture of urinary bladder / urethra, ruptured gall bladder or bile duct, traumatic abdominal wall hernia |
