So sorry you, your family and Gus are going through this.
Are you able to share more about the tests the vet(s) have run?
While I have not had experience with PLE, I have had experience with abdominal bloating in a yorkie, albeit a senior yorkie with cardiac issues. She was treated, but NOT by draining the fluid. Her vet told us that draining would cause more problems than would be solved. I wish I could recall the specifics, vet indicated there was no way to only drain the problem fluid--so that it would also drain essentials that the little one would not be able to replace quickly enough.
Wylie's Mom--far more knowledgeable than I am about many of these things--wrote above about "discovering the actual correlating diseases." See the section "Disease associated with protein-losing enteropathy" in
Pet Health Network article by Dr. Justine A. Lee, "
Protein-Losing Enteropathy (PLE) in Dogs."
"...get to your veterinarian immediately for a physical examination and potential blood work. Preliminary diagnosis of PLE is made based on low albumin and protein levels on the blood work. A prompt, complete work-up is necessary to rule out certain diseases associated with PLE--"
Article continues, listing 10 or so conditions to be ruled out by the "complete work-up":
*Intestinal lymphangiectasia
*Cancer (e.g., lymphosarcoma) of the intestinal tract
*Inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., lymphoplasmacytic enteritis)
*Food allergies
*Gastroenteritis (from viral, fungal, or bacterial infections)
*Stomach ulcers
*Severe chronic starvation
*Granulomatous infiltration of the intestines (secondary to fungal infections)
*Abnormalities of the intestines (from a chronic foreign body, intestinal parasites, an intussusception, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, etc.)
*Ulcerative gastroenteritis
There are several articles on YorkieTalk about PLE that may be helpful to you.
2015, "
PLE.......lymphasia"
2015, "
Lacey girl with Newly dx PLE."
2014, "
My Yorkie has PLE"
2013, "
PLE (protein losing enteropathy)"
2010, "
My Yorkie was diagnosed with PLE."
2007, "
Intestinal Lymphangiectasia: A Protein-Losing Enteropathy (PLE)"
When I was knee-high to a grasshopper, my family had a beloved beagle named Gus. I'll be pullin' and prayin' doubly hard for your Gus! --Katy's Mom