Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Signs of biliary obstruction in dogs and cats - what to know
By Fahie, M A & Martin, R A·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·1995·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Extrahepatic biliary tract obstruction: a retrospective study of 45 cases (1983-1993).
Plain-English summary
A group of 41 dogs and 4 cats showed symptoms like jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), vomiting, and loss of appetite due to a blockage in the bile ducts. Most pets had high levels of bilirubin in their blood, indicating liver issues. The main causes of the blockage were pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) and tumors. Surgery was performed on many of these pets, and about 41% of them recovered well. Overall, pets diagnosed with this condition had a good chance of recovery if they weren't severely affected by other health issues.
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Abstract
The medical records of 41 dogs and four cats with either surgical or postmortem confirmation of extrahepatic biliary tract obstruction were reviewed. Clinical signs of icterus, vomiting, anorexia, or a combination of these signs were exhibited by 100% of cases. Elevated serum bilirubin was documented in 37 of 41 dogs and two of four cats (86.6%). The predominant, underlying, pathological process was extraluminal obstruction of the biliary tract due to pancreatitis (19 of 45 cases; 42.2%) or neoplasia (11 of 45 cases; 24.4%). Biliary tract surgery was performed in 29 cases, of which 12 (41.3%) recovered. Animals diagnosed with extrahepatic biliary tract obstruction had a relatively good long-term prognosis, provided they were not compromised substantially due to severe necrotizing pancreatitis or neoplasia.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8581542/