USE OF URSODEOXYCHOLIC ACIDS IN A DOG WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS - EFFECTS ON SERUM HEPATIC TESTS AND ENDOGENOUS BILE-ACID COMPOSITION

A dog with severe cholestasis secondary to chronic hepatitis was treat ed with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) PO, After 2 weeks of daily treatme nt, the dog was more active and had an improved appetite, Monthly seru m biochemical determinations and analysis of individual bile acid prof iles documented improvement in hepatobiliary tests and a marked reduct ion in the concentrations of potentially hepatotoxic endogenous bile a cids. These effects were maintained for approximately 6 months, The fi ndings in this dog are similar to those reported for human patients tr eated with UDCA and provide preliminary evidence in support of its con tinued evaluation in the treatment of cholestatic liver disease in the dog. Copyright (C) 1997 by the American College of Veterinary Interna l Medicine.