Cats and dogs do not both have the same liver problems. Here are the top 3 liver problems most commonly found in our pets.
The most common type of liver disease in dogs is inflammatory. Hepatitis can be infectious, bacterial – such as leptospirosis – or viral – Rubarth’s hepatitis caused by a virus called canine adenovirus type 1. Hepatitis can also be caused by the ingestion of a toxic substance or unsuitable food, or by long-term use of certain medications – such as phenobarbital, which is used in the management of epilepsy.
When inflammation affects liver tissue, fibrosis – a kind of scar tissue – is not uncommon. Certain breeds seem to be predisposed, such as the Bedlington Terrier, Doberman, Labrador, Poodle and Cocker Spaniel, but all dogs can be affected. These lesions prevent the liver from carrying out its functions properly, and are known as chronic active hepatitis.
Porto-systemic shunts are the second most common cause of liver disease in dogs. In most cases, it is a congenital disease, meaning that it has been present since birth. In healthy dogs, the veins from the digestive organs join to form the portal vein. Loaded with nutrients, the blood transported by this vein then crosses the liver, forming a network of venules. The blood “cleaned” by the liver then joins the hepatic vein, which joins the vena cava, then the heart and the general circulation. In a porto-systemic shunt, blood from the portal vein flows directly into the general circulation – the vena cava – without passing through the liver. This shunt may be intra or extra hepatic. Blood from the digestive tract is therefore no longer purified by the liver, and undesirable components end up in the circulation and can disrupt the proper functioning of the brain.
Liver tumours, whether benign or malignant, come 3rd.
Cats are particularly prone to hepatic lipidosis. This multifactorial disorder often occurs after a period of anorexia. The body then draws its energy from adipose cells – fat cells. When the quantity of fatty acids reaching the liver exceeds its export capacity, the fat is stored in the liver cells in the form of triglycerides, which prevents the liver from functioning properly. Obese cats are predisposed. This condition is serious and difficult to reverse without medical treatment.
The second liver disease encountered in cats is cholangitis or cholangiohepatitis. This inflammatory syndrome affects the bile ducts and liver tissue. An ascending bacterial infection may be the cause, although an immune origin is suspected in certain forms. The cat’s anatomical peculiarity makes it particularly susceptible to what is known as the “feline triaditis”: the coexistence of cholangitis with inflammatory processes affecting the duodenum, pancreas and kidneys.
Finally, as in dogs, liver tumours are the 3rd leading cause of liver disease in cats.
The signs associated with a liver disorder are highly varied and not very specific. What’s more, most liver diseases present the same symptoms. Initially, there may be a drop in appetite, fatigue of varying degrees, vomiting and an increase in the intake of drinking water and urine. It is only when the disease is more advanced that more specific signs appear, such as jaundice – a yellow discolouration of the mucous membranes resulting from the accumulation of bilirubin in the blood.
It’s best not to wait until your pet is showing signs of declining health. Only your vet, after a clinical examination and blood tests, imaging techniques and/or a more detailed study of the liver cells like biopsy and histology will be able to make a diagnosis and put in place specific recommendations and appropriate treatment.
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