Idiopathic pneumoperitoneum in a dog.

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.