MSD Manual

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Professional Version

Clinical Features of Hepatobiliary Disease in Small Animals

By

Sharon A. Center

, DVM, DACVIM, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University

Reviewed/Revised Aug 2023
Topic Resources

vary depending on type, mechanism, severity, zonal distribution and extent of involved parenchyma, and chronicity.

Table

General features include anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and fever.

With severe, diffuse injury or cholestatic disorders (disorders causing bile flow stasis), animals may develop jaundice (yellow discoloration of nonpigmented tissues due to accumulation of bilirubin), polyuria (dilute urine production) and polydipsia (excessive water consumption), coagulation abnormalities (bleeding tendencies), or abdominal distention due to ascites Portal Hypertension and Ascites in Small Animals Ascites develops secondary to portal hypertension, with or without hypoalbuminemia. Liver disorders associated with ascites trigger physiologic responses that sustain euvolemia and splanchnic... read more (accumulation of abdominal effusion secondary to intrahepatic sinusoidal hypertension or prehepatic portal hypertension).

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