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Vetdle Archive

Archive Case #123: Canine Protein-Losing Enteropathy

Dog veterinary case - Hard - July 4, 2026

Clinical Clues

  1. A dog has chronic intermittent digestive signs with weight loss and lethargy.
  2. The owner notices limb swelling and a pot-bellied appearance.
  3. Examination confirms peripheral edema and abdominal effusion.
  4. Bloodwork reveals marked hypoalbuminaemia.
  5. Ultrasound supports intestinal disease with loss of protein into the gut.
  6. Canine protein-losing enteropathy can cause diarrhea, edema, effusion, and profound low albumin.

Diagnosis

Canine Protein-Losing Enteropathy

This case is most consistent with Canine Protein-Losing Enteropathy because the dog has chronic intestinal signs with severe hypoalbuminaemia, edema, and effusion. The most important clues are the low albumin and gastrointestinal history, which make heart failure or liver failure alone less likely.

Learning review

Review the case evidence

Use the paired clues to explain how the evidence in this dog case supports the provided diagnosis, Canine Protein-Losing Enteropathy, then compare your reasoning with the case explanation.

Evidence checkpoints

Clues 1-2

  1. Clue 1: A dog has chronic intermittent digestive signs with weight loss and lethargy.
  2. Clue 2: The owner notices limb swelling and a pot-bellied appearance.

Clues 3-4

  1. Clue 3: Examination confirms peripheral edema and abdominal effusion.
  2. Clue 4: Bloodwork reveals marked hypoalbuminaemia.

Clues 5-6

  1. Clue 5: Ultrasound supports intestinal disease with loss of protein into the gut.
  2. Clue 6: Canine protein-losing enteropathy can cause diarrhea, edema, effusion, and profound low albumin.

Self-review prompts

  1. After clues 1-2, what evidence from this dog case shaped your initial interpretation?
  2. When you compare clues 3-4 with clues 1-2, what changed in your reasoning about Canine Protein-Losing Enteropathy?
  3. How do clues 5-6 align with the case explanation for Canine Protein-Losing Enteropathy?

Educational Use

Vetdle archive cases are educational veterinary games for diagnostic reasoning practice. They do not provide veterinary advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional medical guidance.