canine stomache disorder

Question
I have an 8 year old mixed breed dog (Golden Retriver/German Shepard) that has developed what I would call a beer belly. He doesn't drink any beer that I know of but I am concerned about this because it has come about in the last few weeks. His diet has not been changed although he always seems hungry. He is a very good eater, he will eat all of anything he is given. He has occasional diarrhea and always soft stools. He shows no other symptoms of anything wrong and is just seems normal and heathly. This dog weighs about 70 pounds and is not over fed. Our other dog weighs 35 pounds and both get fed about the same amount. The smaller dog seems ok, but the bigger one has this huge gut that always is hard like just finished eating the biggest meal of his life. Any advice will be much appreciated. Thank You,


Answer
Hi Jeff!  I would highly suggest a physical examination by your veterinarian.  This could be a number of things.  Some serious, and some not.  The best way to determine what is going on inside that belly would be, firstly an x-ray.  It could just be gas or it could be a spleen problem.  Often times, this is seen when there is a problem with the spleen and a splenectomy is in order to cure the problem.  After the x-ray, blood work would also be a good diagnostic procedure to perform, as this will be able to detect any internal abnormalities within the organs and organ tissue.
I hope this helps and please let me know what is found.
Give your baby some kisses for me!
Hilary