Liver Failure In Dogs. This article will go over the stages of liver failure in dogs as well as the symptoms to look out for. End stage liver disease in dogs is often one of the most painful and difficult things for an owner to witness. Vomiting diarrhea ascites enlarged abdomen due to the presence of fluids weakness lethargy bleeding seizures and ultimately coma. Many different conditions can lead to acute liver failure in dogs.
If your dog has ALF acute liver failure chances are he is going to die. The liver is unable to fulfil its different functions. This is because the essential outcome is the same. Liver failure in dogs normally progress from the early stages through the middle stages to end-stage liver failureThe end stage being the point where the only outcome is a fatal one. When the liver does not function properly bile accumulates in the body. In the terminal stage of liver failure your dog may experience significant neurological problems.
Failure in the liver causes multiple systemic problems including fluid in the abdomen ascites digestive ulcers lack of blood coagulation susceptibility to infection and hepatic encephalopathy a liver-related brain disease.
Some toxins can even cause different organs to fail leading to secondary liver damage. If your dog has ALF acute liver failure chances are he is going to die. According to the Emergency Vet USA website sometimes liver failure can develop slowly over time and other times it can progress quicker. If a dog is not feeling well for any reason it may become lethargic. Liver problems are more commonly diagnosed in senior dogs as opposed to adult or young dogs. Thats because the liver can no longer remove toxins from the body and metabolize proteins.