Bleeding Tendencies

• in acute liver damage
• there is substantial necrosis of the liver tissue even though it may not be pronounced on gross inspection
• there is contact of blood with the damaged liver parenchyma which triggers the clotting cascade, consuming the circulating clotting factors - have a short half life
• since the liver is also responsible for the production of these clotting factors, there is an acute shortage and an animal dying from such acute liver damage may show petechial and ecchymotic haemorrhages in many organs of the body
• see Canine Viral Hepatitis (ICH)
  • gross and microscopic appearances - haemorrhages will be seen in many tissues in this disease, particularly on the intestinal serosa