Small Liver in Dogs

By Bethney Foster

Instructions

Symptoms

Step 1:
Symptoms of chronic active hepatitis include anorexia, lethargy, weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive urinating, excessive drinking, fluid in the abdominal cavity, jaundice and an increased tendency to bleed.

Diagnosis

Step 1:
Your veterinarian will employ several diagnostic tools to determine your pet's condition. These may include a complete blood count, biochemical profile, urinalysis, testing of the ammonia level, blood clotting profile, abdominal X-rays, abdominal ultrasound and, possibly, a liver biopsy. It is during abdominal X-rays that your veterinarian is likely to note an enlarged liver, hepatomegaly, or a small liver, microhepaticia. Both indicate chronic active hepatitis.

Treatment

Step 1:
If your dog is diagnosed with chronic active hepatitis, expect that he will be hospitalized. He will be given fluid and electrolytes to correct imbalances and dehydration caused by vomiting, diarrhea and not eating. The veterinarian will likely prescribe antibiotics, steroids, drugs to stimulate the liver and a vitamin K supplement.

Prognosis

Step 1:
Because chronic active hepatitis basically means your pet is in liver failure, full recovery is not likely. Your pet will likely be on a special diet and medications for the duration of her life. If the underlying cause of your dog's condition can be determined and treated, such as a particular drug that is causing her illness, prognosis is considered fair. In other cases, dogs generally survive from several months to three years after diagnosis.

Other Conditions

Step 1:
While chronic active hepatitis is the most likely cause of your dog's small liver, other conditions can have similar symptoms. Some of these include liver cancer, infectious canine hepatitis, hepatotoxins, chronic hepatitis due to a bacterial infection, pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, intestinal inflammation and primary gallbladder disease.

Photo/Video Credit

http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1044743

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