568 



Ascites. 



Other S}auptoms depend upon the nature of the primary 

 disease, but, as a rule, there are, sooner or later, sjanptoms of 

 anemia and debility, and finally complete exhaustion. 



Course. Secondary ascites is a condition that lasts for a 

 long time, whereas the apparently primary ascites of young 

 dogs develops quickly and may disappear within a few weeks. 

 Secondary ascites is variable, especially in the early stages. 

 There may for a time be a complete disappearance of the liquid, 

 but in the later stages there is a tendency for sjanptoms of 

 dropsy in other parts of the body to make their appearance. 

 In those cases in which the primary disease does not cause death 

 the gradual increase in the quantity of liquid leads either to 

 asphyxia or exhaustion. 



Fig. 75. Distension of the abdomen of a pointer owing to ascites. The abdomen 

 tends to be drawn up undernormal conditions. 



Diagnosis. Diagnosis is based principally upon the dem- 

 onstration of the presence of liquid in the peritoneum. This, 

 as a rule, presents no difficulties in the case of the smaller ani- 

 mals when the symptoms described above are taken into con- 

 sideration. Similar alterations in shape of the abdomen may 

 be produced by large cysts or cavities filled with liquid, such as 

 the pregnant uterus, or uterus filled with fluid, dropsy of the 

 fetal membranes, cystic ovaries or dilated bladders in small 

 animals. Large soft tumors, such as myxomata, may also give 

 rise to similar eifects on palpation or percussion, and such 

 growths may be capable of having their position altered by ma- 

 nipulation. In small animals careful palpation, especially in 

 the neighborhood of the portal fissure of the liver, enables one 



