Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Chronic hepatitis signs and outlook in Labrador Retrievers
By Shih, Julia L et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2007·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Chronic hepatitis in Labrador Retrievers: clinical presentation and prognostic factors.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old Labrador Retriever was brought in for symptoms like not wanting to eat, vomiting, being unusually tired, and losing weight. Tests showed that the dog had chronic hepatitis, a liver condition that can be more common in this breed, with signs of liver inflammation and copper buildup. Unfortunately, the dog's condition was serious, and the average survival time was about a year, with certain factors like lack of appetite and specific blood test results indicating a shorter lifespan. The vet used a scoring system based on the dog's symptoms and test results to help predict how long the dog might live.
People also search for: Labrador Retriever chronic hepatitis symptoms · dog vomiting and weight loss · liver disease prognosis in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: An increased incidence of chronic hepatitis has been reported in Labrador Retrievers. HYPOTHESIS: A breed associated hepatopathy occurs in Labrador Retrievers. ANIMALS: Twenty-four client-owned Labrador Retrievers. METHODS: Medical records of dogs with histopathologic confirmation of chronic hepatitis were retrospectively reviewed. A clinical score based on clinical signs and the results of biochemical tests was generated for each dog. Hepatic biopsy specimens were scored for disease activity, fibrosis, and copper accumulation. RESULTS: The median age was 9.3 years (range, 3.9-14.0 years). Clinical signs included inappetence, vomiting, lethargy, and weight loss. All dogs had increases in serum activity of one or more hepatobiliary enzyme. Hyperbilirubinemia and hypoalbuminemia were present in 45% and 21% of dogs, respectively. The median clinical score was 2.9, with a range of 0-8. The median histopathology activity and the fibrosis scores were 3.5 (range, 1-6) and 3.0 (range, 0-4), respectively. Rhodanine-positive copper staining was present in 15 of 17 biopsy specimens, with a median score of 2.0 (range, 0-3). Median survival was 374 days (range, 1-2645 days). A prolonged prothrombin time (P = .013) and thrombocytopenia (P = .041) were associated with survival < 2 months. The presence of anorexia (P = .049), hypoglobulinemia (P = .045), or prolonged partial thromboplastin time (P = .033) were associated with shorter overall survival times. The clinical score correlated with survival time (P = .030) and histopathologic staging (P = .049). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: A progressive hepatopathy in Labrador Retrievers in this study was marked by chronic inflammation, fibrosis, and copper accumulation. A clinical scoring system that correlates with survival time may be useful as a noninvasive method to predict prognosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17338147/