L I VER D I SEASE
Figure 2
9
EQUINE MATTERS
Veterinary surgeon
Heather Urquhart
XLEquine practice
Scarsdale Veterinary
Group
Heather Urquhart BVMS CertAVP(EP) MRCVS,
Scarsdale Veterinary Group
The liver is one of the largest and
most important organs of the equine
body. It has many different functions,
and as such plays a vital role in many
important processes.
The multifunctional nature of the liver means
that clinical signs are many, and vary
widely between cases. Indeed, early signs
may be subtle and easily overlooked, and
signs of liver failure may not appear until
more than 70% of the liver is damaged.
Specific clinical signs of mild-moderate
cases of liver disease may include one
or more of the following:
In more severe cases where the liver has
already started to fail, signs such as
excessive bleeding without clotting, fluid
accumulation resulting in swelling of the
legs and head, bilateral laryngeal paralysis
causing severe respiratory distress, and
central nervous system signs (these include
head pressing, ataxia (incoordination/
wobbliness), seizures, blindness, and
coma) can be seen. In some cases, liver
disease can be fatal.
Signs of disease
Figure 1:
Pony presenting with weight loss
later diagnosed with liver disease
●
Manufacturing of important products
such as proteins, clotting factors and
vitamins.
●
Storage of vitamins, minerals and
glucose.
Equine liver
disease
●
Digestion of carbohydrates, fats
and proteins.
●
Detoxification of the blood before
products absorbed from the gut can
affect the rest of the body.
These functions include:
●
Weight loss
●
Lethargy
●
Depression
●
Decreased appetite
●
Poor/reduced performance
●
Poor coat quality
●
Behavioural changes
●
Abnormal faeces
●
Jaundice
●
Colic
●
Photosensitisation (sunburn-like
lesions on depigmented skin)
