Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
High bilirubin levels predict worse outcome in dogs
By Gómez Selgas, Aida et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc·2014·1Aida Gó, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Total serum bilirubin as a negative prognostic factor in idiopathic canine chronic hepatitis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 39 dogs diagnosed with chronic hepatitis (a liver condition) were studied to see if total serum bilirubin levels could predict how long they might live. The average survival time for these dogs was about 197 days. Higher bilirubin levels were linked to shorter survival, along with factors like the dog's weight and the presence of fluid in the abdomen (ascites). This suggests that monitoring bilirubin levels could help veterinarians better understand the prognosis for dogs with chronic hepatitis.
People also search for: dog chronic hepatitis prognosis · high bilirubin levels in dogs · dog liver disease survival time
Abstract
Total serum bilirubin (TBIL) is used as a prognostic factor in chronic hepatitis (CH) in human beings. To date, the authors are unaware of any studies looking at the value of TBIL as a prognostic factor in idiopathic canine CH. The objective of the current study was to assess if TBIL is a negative prognostic factor in idiopathic canine CH, and to identify other prognostic factors. Thirty-nine dogs with histologically confirmed idiopathic CH admitted to 2 referral centers between 1999 and 2010 were included in the study. Patients with concurrent diseases that could affect TBIL or the survival time were excluded. Total serum bilirubin was measured prior to liver biopsy, and CH was diagnosed according to standardized histological criteria. Survival time was calculated from time of diagnosis to time of death or euthanasia. Cox proportional hazard analysis was performed to identify prognostic factors. The mean survival time for the 39 dogs included in the analysis was 197 days (1-2,677), and the mean total serum bilirubin was 11 μmol/l (2-265). Total serum bilirubin was statistically significantly associated with survival (odds ratio = 1.082, P = 0.047) as were weight (odds ratio = 1.028, P = 0.028) and the presence of ascites (odds ratio = 6.758, P = 0.013). The current study demonstrates that TBIL could be used as an additional prognostic factor in canine CH.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24621844/