No, Cookie did not have ascites. She was caught fairly early before she had symptoms. She was not eating well and had a couple of mucousy stools. I took her in and when they did blood work they found her albumin level was very low. She was immediately referred to the specialist and admitted to ICU. She was on prednisone and other meds initially....and she stayed on prednisone until just this year.
If you decide to home cook you really should do a consult with a vet nutritionist. If you don't know of one in your area, you can do a search here:
American College of Veterinary Nutrition Don't try to do it on your own! It is important that it be balanced for your pup.