Symptoms, biochemical indicators and general blood analysis for hepatopathy in dogs

Abstract

Liver pathologies (hepatopathies) in dogs are widespread. The World Veterinary Association of Small Animals suggests confirming the diagnosis of liver disease by intravital histological examination of the organ. Since it is not always possible to perform a liver puncture in veterinary clinics, the purpose of our work was to study the clinical signs and blood indicators of hepatopathy in dogs and, based on the data obtained, to show typical symptoms and laboratory tests of organ damage and the possible nature of the development of the pathological process. The material for research was healthy and patients with liver pathology of dogs of various breeds. During the clinical examination of sick animals, depression, vomiting, fever, tenderness in the liver area, and sometimes jaundice of the sclera, visible mucous membranes and skin were found. Biochemical tests of the patient's blood showed violations of the liver's primary functions: bile-forming, bile-secreting, detoxifying, and protein-synthesizing. In the blood of dogs with hepatopathy, compared to clinically healthy dogs, it was established that the content of total bilirubin increased by 7.5 times (Р ˂ 0.05), bile acids by 3.2 times (Р ˂ 0.001) and ammonia by 61 % (Р ˂ 0 .05) and a 23% decrease in the amount of albumin (Р ˂ 0.01). The content of total protein and urea in the blood serum of sick animals did not differ from that of clinically healthy ones. In all sick dogs, the activity of ALT increased by 8.5 times (Р ˂ 0.05), AST by 10.2 times (Р ˂ 0.001), and LF by 9.3 times (Р ˂ 0.01), which indicates a lesion cells of the hepatobiliary system. Indicators of the functional state of the liver (bilirubin, bile acids, ammonia, albumin) and blood enzymes (ALT, AST, LF) in the group of sick dogs had significant fluctuations. They depended on the severity and course of the pathological process. When examining the general blood analysis of the patients, a decrease of 19.8 % in the hemoglobin content (Р ˂ 0.01), 23.2 % in the number of erythrocytes (Р ˂ 0.01), and 19.8 % in the hematocrit value (Р ˂ 0, 01). In the blood of sick dogs, the number of leukocytes increased threefold (Р ˂ 0.001); this was due to rod-nuclear (Р ˂ 0.01) and segment-nuclear neutrophils and monocytes. At the same time, the number of lymphocytes in patients' blood decreased (Р ˂ 0.001). Based on the analysis of individual data of clinical signs and blood parameters of sick dogs, it can be concluded that the animals primarily developed hepatitis, and some of the pathological processes had an acute course, while others had a chronic course.