Fatty Liver Disease (Hepatic Lipidosis) in Dogs

The liver is a critical organ involved in secreting digestive enzymes into the bowels and filtering toxins from the blood. If the liver is overwhelmed with processing fats, its capacity to filter toxins is reduced. If normal blood filtration function is not restored (by addressing the cause of excess fat accumulation in the liver), blood toxicity can develop, leading to symptoms of fatty liver disease. Lack of caloric uptake leading to fatty liver is usually a secondary complication of another underlying disease process in dogs.

Fatty liver disease is uncommon in dogs. Unlike fatty liver in cats, fatty liver in dogs rarely leads to liver failure and some dogs may be asymptomatic. Any dog that doesn’t eat for several days or is losing weight needs to be examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible.

There is no breed, sex, or age predisposition to developing fatty liver disease, however toy breed puppies seem to be more susceptible.

Lack of caloric intake leads to release of fat stores to supply energy to the body. Once fat stores are mobilized, fat accumulates in the liver at a faster rate than the liver can process. The liver’s normal function is negatively affected when it is overwhelmed with fat. Secondary complications happen when liver function declines.

Most cases of fatty liver are secondary to an underlying disease process; occasionally no cause is found.

Signs of a concurrent underlying disease may also be noted.

Blood work and ultrasound of the liver give supportive evidence of fatty liver. Biopsy of the liver is needed to confirm diagnosis.

Treatment of fatty liver is primarily supportive and also targets correction of any underlying disease process. Supportive care includes nutritional support (typically with a feeding tube) of small, frequent high protein/high caloric density meals, IV fluid therapy, anti-nausea medications, and liver support supplements. Severely affected pets require hospitalization. Long term follow ups are needed.

Full recovery from fatty liver takes several weeks, even after the underlying disease process that predisposed the dog to fatty liver is corrected. Prognosis is generally good. Dogs with diabetes as the predisposing cause have a worse prognosis.

Since fatty liver disease is usually a secondary complication of another underlying illness, prompt veterinary examination and treatment for developing symptoms is likely to prevent fatty liver in dogs. There is some thought that maintaining a healthy weight may help with prevention as well. Staying up to date with routing vet exams and vaccines helps aid early detection of many diseases and maximizes health outcomes. Fatty liver is not contagious.

Fatty liver is uncommon in dogs.

Treatment consists of:

• IV fluids therapy
• Nutritional support
• Anti-nausea medications
• Liver support supplements
• Correction of any underlying condition