Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Diet copper and zinc levels linked to liver copper in Labradors
By Fieten, H et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2012·Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Netherlands·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Association of dietary copper and zinc levels with hepatic copper and zinc concentration in Labrador Retrievers.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 55 Labrador Retrievers was studied to see if the amount of copper and zinc in their food affected their liver health. The dogs had been eating the same brand of dry food for at least a year, and many had family members with copper-associated hepatitis, a liver disease. The results showed that high levels of copper in their diet were linked to higher copper levels in the liver, while low zinc levels did not show a similar effect. This suggests that the copper and zinc content in dog food could play a role in liver disease for Labradors that are genetically prone to it.
People also search for: Labrador Retriever liver disease diet · copper-associated hepatitis in dogs · dog food copper zinc levels
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Copper-associated hepatitis is an inherited disease in the Labrador Retriever. Apart from genetic factors, dietary intake of copper and zinc are suspected to play a role in the pathogenesis. OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether dietary copper and zinc levels of commercially available dry diets are associated with hepatic copper and zinc concentrations in Labrador Retrievers. ANIMALS: Fifty-five Labrador Retrievers that were fed a single brand and type of commercial dry food for at least 1 year. Of these, 44 dogs were family members of Labrador Retrievers with copper-associated hepatitis. METHODS: Liver biopsies, blood samples, and diet samples were obtained. Liver specimens were scored histologically and copper and zinc concentrations were quantified. Dietary concentrations of copper and zinc were measured. The association between dietary intake of copper and zinc and hepatic copper and zinc concentrations was investigated by linear regression analysis. RESULTS: High dietary copper and low dietary zinc levels were significantly associated with high hepatic copper levels. No association between dietary intake and hepatic zinc was present. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Dietary copper and zinc at current levels in commercially available dry dog food can influence hepatic copper and can be a risk factor for the development of copper-associated hepatitis in Labrador Retrievers with a genetic susceptibility to copper.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22998127/