Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog survives massive liver necrosis and recovers fully
By Kook, Peter H et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2019·Clinic for Small Animal Internal Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Clinical and histologic outcome in a dog surviving massive hepatic necrosis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old mixed-breed dog was brought to the vet in shock, showing signs of severe liver damage and internal bleeding. Emergency surgery was performed to remove part of the damaged liver, and tests confirmed massive liver cell death. Fortunately, the dog recovered well, with all lab results returning to normal within seven weeks. A follow-up liver biopsy eight weeks later showed that the liver was healing properly, and the dog continued to have normal health for seven years after the incident.
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Abstract
This report describes the clinical and histologic recovery of a 2-year-old mixed-breed dog presented with hypovolemic shock, markedly increased serum alanine amino transferase activity, and hemoabdomen. Emergency exploratory surgery revealed a friable liver with multiple capsule hemorrhages necessitating removal of the left lateral lobe. Histologic evaluation showed acute massive hepatic necrosis with centrilobular and midzonal distribution. The dog survived, and all monitored laboratory values normalized within 7 weeks. A liver biopsy taken 8 weeks after presentation revealed normal hepatic architecture with a few, randomly distributed neutrophilic foci. Follow-up included intermittent determination of liver variables including liver function tests for a period of 7 years. The dog's health status, and all test results remained normal during this time. Complete recovery and good long-term quality of life after life-threatening acute liver failure secondary to massive hepatic necrosis is possible in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30575127/