Dogs are social animals who love to live in packs. They take maximum precaution to avoid conflicts while living in packs. There is a leader and others are followers of the pack. They obey the leader in order to maintain a peaceful relationship within the pack. However the dogs can do serious harm to each other during a fight even though fights among dogs are not common.
If certain dogs do not obey their leader or fail to accept the dominance or hierarchy of the other pack members, the situation may lead to serious fights. In some cases, the injuries can lead to serious visible and invisible damages to internal organs or even death.
Muscle tear in the abdomen is one such serious condition.
Abdominal muscles are damaged even though no damage is seen on the skin. As a result of the muscle damage, gut or organs in the abdomen comes out and lies under the skin.
Signs
There is no visible wound in the body. A bulge of soft tissue protrudes through the abdominal area. The bulge may appear just after the fighting or may be months later. Mostly the bulge is prominent after a heavy meal. The dog may cry in pain. The bulge may not be visible while the dog is lying down.
Diagnosis
If you notice such condition you should rush to the vet. In Sri Lanka veterinarians can diagnose this condition by scanning or taking an x ray. If the vet is smart enough, he can diagnose the condition just by palpating the affected area.
Treatment
There is no treatment other than surgical correction of the muscle tear of the affected area. After that the vet may keep your pet under antibiotic treatment for several days
Re-occurrence
The condition may re-occur if the muscles of the area are too weak or if the condition is too old to repair. Therefore you should follow after-care instructions given by your vet after doing the surgery. Repeated examination by the vet for recommended period is compulsory for the benefit of your pet.
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