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Liver Disease and Failure in Horses
  by Robert N. Oglesby DVM

Introduction

Introduction » Symptoms » Diagnosis » Causes » Treatment » More Info 

Though finding elevated liver enzymes in routine blood panels is common in horses, clinical signs due to liver dysfunction (ie liver failure) is not common. There are several reasons for this:
  • Relatively small insults to the liver can result in large increases in enzymes.
  • The liver has a large reserve capacity and liver failure does not occur until over 70% is dysfunctional.
  • The liver has a large capacity for regeneration as long as anti-metabolite chemicals and/or scarring are not present.

Because the symptoms of liver disease are general, diagnosis of liver disease frequently requires laboratory work to confirm. Because the symptoms are the same no matter what the cause biopsy may be required to determine the cause of the disease. Marked jaundice along with other signs compatible with liver disease is a helpful finding. Though liver disease is not rare, liver failure is an uncommon problem in horses. Causes can be poisons, infection, cancer, and immune disorders. This article deals with the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of liver disease in horses.
      ~Word Count: 1648 words (The average magazine page contains about 600 words);
      ~Last Updated: May 28, 2008;

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Discussions on Liver Disease and Failure

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iconIndications of liver disease?11 Dec 5, 01
iconElevated liver enzymes and anemiaAug 25, 00
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iconPrimary Diagnosis of Liver Failure19 Mar 11, 00
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