Category:Liver - Degenerative Pathology

Liver, Hydropic Degeneration

Hepatic Lipidosis

Equine hyperlipidemia

• fat pony syndrome
• occurs exclusively in fat ponies especially fat Shetland ponies
• more susceptible if pregnant and lactating
• may be triggered by some reduction in feed intake
• Clinical signs
  • dullness
  • colic
  • anorexia
  • hepatic encephalopathy
  • mania (sometimes)

NB: similar to that in cats, as well as fatal (within a week)

Ovine White Liver Disease

• Australia and Europe
• young lambs on lush pasture
• clinical signs
  • ill thrift
  • anorexia
  • jaundice
  • photosensitisation
• treatment
  • responsive to Vitamin B12 and cobalt

associated with derangement of carbohydrate metabolism

Diabetes mellitus

• where there is insufficient insulin or a decrease in number of insulin receptors in cells
• seen mostly in dogs
• produces a markedly fatty liver due to release of fat from the fat stores for use as an energy source

Ketosis

• due to an excessive drain on carbohydrate stores because pregnant and lactating animals have a continuous demand for glucose
• ketosis results when fat metabolism which occurs in response to the increased energy demand is excessive
• ketone bodies accumulate in the blood and there is marked fatty change in the liver
• can occur in starvation but commonly seen in two conditions in livestock:

ketosis of cattle (acetonemia)

• occurs in high yielding dairy cows a few weeks postpartum
• due to excessive loss of glucose in the milk
• milk yield drops
• smell of ketones on the breath
• ketones excreted in the milk
• self-limiting condition

pregnancy toxaemia in sheep

• occurs in ewes in late pregnancy carrying twin lambs 'twin lamb disease'
• drain of carbohydrate stores is due to rapidly growing foetuses
• serious condition and highly fatal
• clinical signs (neurological)
  • apparent blindness
  • dullness
  • convulsions
  • coma
• sequelae
  • foetuses die
  • apparent recovery in ewe until toxaemia from the decomposing foetuses results in the ewe's death

associated with anoxia and toxaemia

anoxia

• passive congestion
• anaemias

toxaemia

• toxins absorbed from the gut interfere with many stages of triglyceride metabolism