Canine and Feline Liver Disease

Topics and Important Take-Aways

Important Metabolic Considerations when Dealing with Feline Hepatic Lipidosis
Strategies for managing Suppurative Cholangiohepatitis
Chronic Management Non-Suppurative Cholangiohepatitis

Canine Copper-Associated-Hepatopathy: insidious onset that may have a tragic outcome.
Practical Considerations: Causal Factors
Should You Submit that ATP7B test?
While diagnosis requires liver biopsy with rhodanine (copper specific) staining.
What is the value of liver copper quantification ?  Does it influence interventional strategies ?

Syndromic Hepatobiliary Disorders: Some Pearls

Early Diagnosis of Gall Bladder Mucocele Matters. How to Do That ?
Are there short-comings to laparoscopic cholecystectomies?
Should you biopsy the liver in these cases?
Should you submit the GB for histopathology ?
Should you culture the GB ?.

Ductal Plate Malformations: What are they ? What are they mistaken for ?
Important managerial considerations will be summarized.

Microvascular Dysplasia: What Exactly is This ? Is there a specific treatment ?
Should you repeatedly measure bile acids in these dogs?
Should you treat with SAMe or Ursodiol?
Should you recommend a prescription protein restricted liver diet?
What is the Life Expectancy for dogs with MVD?

Glycogen-type Vacuolar Hepatopathy: a common reactive hepatocellular response.
When to worry about it?
Can you specifically treat it ?  Should you use chronic antioxidants ?
What serious metabolic disorder is confused with typical G-VH ?

Dr. Center completed her veterinary training at the University of California at Davis, an Internship and Internal Medicine Residency at Cornell University and for 40 yrs help manage the Internal Medicine Specialty Service at Cornell as the James Law Professor of Small Animal Internal Medicine. She has contributed to the training of a continuum of Small Animal Internal Medicine residents and also Pathology residents (hepatic pathology) since 1983 and continues to provide consultative teaching as an Emeritus Professor. She has conducted focused research in the area of hepatobiliary disease- developing tests (e.g., bile acid testing, digital quantification of copper in liver samples), characterizing numerous syndromes (e.g., feline hepatic lipidosis, feline suppurative and non-suppurative cholangiohepatitis, microvascular dysplasia, other breed related hepatopathies), has authored numerous research and clinical peer reviewed manuscripts, as well as book chapters regarding hepatic disease and its diagnosis in small companion animals. She has lectured on hepatobiliary disease topics worldwide. She was named the Outstanding Woman Veterinarian in 2012 (Association for Women Veterinarians Foundation), is a Distinguished Alumnus of UC Davis College of Veterinary Medicine, and recipient of the coveted ACVIM Robert W Kirk Award for Excellence in Internal Medicine (2016).