dog with rapid onset ascites with no other symptoms

Hello, we are really at a loss here and I am just hoping that maybe there will be something that we have missed.

My dog is a pit mix rescue who at the age of two was brought to our vet in virginia neglected and abused. She lived at the vet office for a year going through checkups and being cleared by a behaviorist and then we adopted her. She is now seven years old and as of two weeks ago was in relatively good health minus some fatty benign masses and some teeth that needed cleaning.

Two weeks ago we had her yearly check up and she appeared normal on physical exam but the blood work came back with slightly elevated liver enzymes so she was placed on denamarin as well as an antibiotic.

Shortly after being placed on the denamarin and antiibiotic I started noticing ascites build up and made an appointment. The vet stated that it was most likely liver cirrhosis but that she was presenting abnormally due to how rapid the onset of ascites as well as extent of the ascites was so we made an appointment for a specialist to come in and do an abdominal ultrasound since our vet couldn't get a clear image of the liver through the fluid.

The specialist stated that they believed it was liver torsion and that she needed to be operated on that afternoon. Her liver had less blood flow than normal and her spleen was congested on ultrasound according to the specialist.

Her red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets were normal so a surgery was planned and she was actually under anesthesia and being prepped for surgery when the specialist called back and said that upon sitting down and reviewing the ultrasound images with another specialist that they agreed it was cirrhosis of 80% of the liver and that the operation would not be able to fix it since it was cirrhosis not torsion.

We planned to have a biopsy done the following day to confirm the diagnosis but when the specialist arrived our dogs clot factors came back as diminished due to low vitamin K. So we have not had either a surgery or biopsy.

My dog is currently on denamarin, ursidiol, two antibiotics, prednisone, an antacid, and gas x. She is still eating, going to the bathroom, and acting fine other than being inconvenienced by the extra weight due to the ascites that she is carrying around. A liter of fluid was drained off this monday but the vet did not have a large enoough catheter and did not want to poke her again. We are going back in tomorrow to have the ascites drained and my guess is it's back up to three liters again.

I am just at a loss about what this really is or why it is presenting how it is. She is NOT jaundiced, she's acting normally, and the ascites has come on very quickly. If anyone has seen something similar i'd like to know what's going on. She does seem like her teeth are bothering her on and off but that is it.

[Jerry_NJ]

You are making a grand effort to bring your pet back to good health, bless you.

We have  a few Community leaders who may be able to give some leads on what to check/treat.  

I reply to put your post to the top of the list again.

Sorry I can't give some direct help/information.

[annamarie326]

Thank you Jerry

[deadgamegrrl]

I wish I had some ideas for you. I agree this is very strange, especially with her acting normally and no jaundice. Are they giving her anything to possibly get her fit enough to do the biopsy? Hopefully someone will chime in here with an actual helpful suggestion!

[annamarie326]

Yes they're giving her a vitamin K supplement to hopefully help with the clotting plus she's on two liver support meds and a steroid

[annamarie326]

Thank you everyone for your kindness. We had to let justice go today. She stopped eating 48hrs ago and an ultrasound showed not only near 100% cirrhosis but also a tumor in her bladder. Her prognosis was only a day to a month left max and it wouldn't be fair to make her suffer.

[deadgamegrrl]

Oh, I am so sorry for your loss. How heartbreaking. I'm glad she didn't suffer but I feel for you. You will be in my thoughts.