Symptoms and Types

Fever
Vomiting
Abdominal pain
Animal positions itself in a “praying” position for relief of pain
Low blood pressure and signs of shock
Increased heart rate
Possible abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia)
 

Causes
 

Peritonitis
Caused by the spread of a causative agent through the blood
Secondary peritonitis (caused by an injury elsewhere in the body)
Common form
Caused by injury to the abdominal cavity or hollow organs
Bacterial or chemical contamination:
Opening of surgical sites
Penetrating abdominal wounds
Blunt abdominal trauma
Severe inflammation of the pancreas
Filling of the abdomen with pus
Liver abscesses (inflamed swelling with pus)
Prostatic cysts -- in males, inflamed swelling with pus from the prostate gland
Rupture of the gallbladder, urinary bladder, or bile duct