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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Dog with unexplained free gas in the abdomen causing fast breathing

By Mehl, M L et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2001·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Idiopathic pneumoperitoneum in a dog.

Species:
dog

Plain-English summary

A 13-year-old neutered male standard poodle was brought in with rapid breathing and a swollen belly. The vet found that he had a condition called pneumoperitoneum, which means there was gas in his abdomen, but they couldn't find a clear cause like a perforated intestine or injury. This condition is rare in dogs and is similar to a type seen in humans. The dog was treated, but the specific outcome of his recovery wasn't detailed.

People also search for: dog rapid breathing · poodle abdominal swelling · dog gas in abdomen treatment

Abstract

A 13-year-old, neutered male standard poodle with tachypnea and abdominal distension was diagnosed with pneumoperitoneum. Pneumoperitoneum can be due to a perforated gastrointestinal tract, penetrating abdominal wounds, gas-producing bacterial peritonitis, or it can be iatrogenically introduced during surgery. Idiopathic pneumoperitoneum is a condition diagnosed in humans after exclusion of perforated gastrointestinal tract and other known causes of free intra-abdominal gas. This report suggests that dogs may suffer from a similar syndrome.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11716029/