Because they are lovable, loyal animals, dogs are highly preferred as pets. Dogs become family members, so their health is very important. Pet owners need to keep in mind that dog health and liver problems are very closely tied together.

The liver is an important part of the digestive system, so if there is a liver problem, a dog health will be severely affected. There are many kinds of liver problems that dogs can have, including cirrhosis of the liver, toxicity, hepatitis, fibrosis, etc. But in this article, we will be discussing hepatic micro vascular dysplasia.

Hepatic Micro Vascular Dysplasia:

This is a common liver problem for dogs. With hepatic micro vascular dysplasia, there is a mixing of venous and arterial blood on a microscopic level. Another name for this condition is hepatic-portal micro vascular dysplasia. Though this condition affects all dog breeds, it seems to occur more often in terrier breeds.

As there are no symptoms that are peculiar to this condition, it is hard to diagnose with any certainty. Among the symptoms that a dog might have are seizures, central nervous system disorder symptoms and other gastro intestinal disorder symptoms, such as diarrhea and vomiting. A bile acid response test is the first step in diagnosing the condition.

Another condition, photo systemic shunts, will also have an abnormal bile acid response. A liver biopsy then needs to be done to eliminate the possibility of photo systemic shunts so that the condition of hepatic micro vascular dyplasia can be properly diagnosed.

If diagnosed before symptoms appear, there is a good prognosis for a dog with hepatic micro vascular dysplasia. However, once symptoms begin to be seen, the only recourse is to use diet and medication to manage the condition.

Reducing the amount of protein consumed is the objective of diet therapy while the reduction of ammonia in the digestive system is accomplished with medication. So that dogs with this condition are able to excrete soft, formed stools, lactose injections are advisable.
Twice a day, injections of antibiotics are given. These may be neomycin, metranidazole or some other antibiotic. The response to the treatment will vary from one dog to another. Some dogs respond well enough to live out a normal life span, but other dogs will have a shortened life due to this condition.

Dog owners will usually take preventative measures once they are made aware of the connection between overall dog health and liver problems.