Veterinar, Vol. 63 No. 2, 2025.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/ISSN 0303-5409
Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approaches to Non-Cardiogenic Abdominal Effusions in Dogs: A Retrospective Study
Hana Musil
orcid.org/0009-0008-8939-0522
; School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Valentina Plichta
; Clinic for Surgery, Orthopedics and Ophthalmology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Croatia
*
Martina Crnogaj
; Clinic for Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Croatia
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Effusions are defined as abnormal accumulations of fluid within body cavities and, on the basis of their
characteristics, effusions are classified as transudates, modified transudates or exudates. To obtain the required
patient data, the archives were reviewed of the Clinic for Internal Medicine of the Faculty of Veterinary
Medicine, University of Zagreb, for the period from 01/01/2019 to 31/12/2023. The majority of patients exhibited
clinical signs for up to one week. The most frequent symptoms observed in the study population were
inappetence, vomiting, abdominal distension, diarrhea and lethargy. In terms of effusion types, exudates were
the most common, followed by modified transudates and transudates. Non- septic exudates were more prevalent
than septic ones. The most frequent causes of abdominal effusions included: neoplasia, inflammatory
processes of various etiologies, abdominal trauma, liver disease, and the concurrent presence of inflammatory
and neoplastic processes in individual patients. For certain effusions, additional parameters were measured,
such as: glucose, lactate, hematocrit, urea, creatinine, potassium and bilirubin, which further aided diagnostic
assessment. Medical treatments for patients included: fluid therapy, analgesics, antiemetics, proton pump inhibitors
and antibiotics, while some also required surgical procedures. Survival in the studied group was 49%,
while 42% of the patients were euthanized, and 9% died. The results of this study highlight the importance of
comprehensive diagnostics and an individualized therapeutic approach in patients with abdominal effusions.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
343377
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2025.
Visits: 301 *