Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Bile acids and bilirubin tests for dogs with belly fluid buildup
By Pascual Moreno, M et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2025·Dick White Referrals, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of bile acids and bilirubin in serum and abdominal fluid in dogs with abdominal effusion.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A dog with sudden abdominal swelling and distress was tested for possible biliary tract rupture, a serious condition where bile leaks into the abdomen. Researchers found that measuring bile acids in the abdominal fluid was highly effective for diagnosing this issue, showing a 100% sensitivity and 99% specificity. In contrast, the fluid-to-serum bilirubin ratio did not provide useful information for diagnosis. While only a few dogs were diagnosed with this rupture, the study suggests that checking bile acids in abdominal fluid could be a reliable method for vets to identify this condition.
People also search for: dog abdominal swelling · biliary tract rupture in dogs · dog bile acids test · dog abdominal fluid analysis
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Determine the utility of abdominal fluid bile acids concentration to diagnose biliary tract rupture and the utility of abdominal fluid-to-serum bilirubin ratio as diagnostic tools in dogs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective pilot study. Canine serum and abdominal fluid samples were collected and submitted for the determination of bilirubin and bile acids concentrations between 2020 and 2022. Samples were measured at the time of admission from dogs with acute onset of clinical signs and peritoneal fluid. A Mann-Whitney U test and ROC curves were used to compare serum and abdominal fluid bilirubin and bile acids concentration and fluid-to-serum bilirubin and bile acids ratio between patients with biliary tract rupture and non-biliary tract rupture. RESULTS: Ninety-four cases were included, of which seven were diagnosed with biliary tract rupture. Median abdominal fluid bile acids concentration was significantly higher in dogs with biliary tract rupture than non-biliary tract rupture (P-value <0.001). Abdominal fluid bile acids concentration had a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 99% for the diagnosis of biliary tract rupture. Fluid-to-serum bilirubin ratio was also analysed and no statistically significant difference was seen between groups (P-value 0.925). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Although the number of dogs with biliary tract rupture in this study population was small, abdominal fluid bile acids concentration may have a better accuracy than fluid-to-serum bilirubin ratio for the diagnosis of biliary tract rupture. The utility of fluid-to-serum bilirubin ratio for the diagnosis of biliary tract rupture, appears limited. Further studies with a larger number of biliary tract rupture cases are required to support these conclusions.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39628377/