Once in a while, if you are lucky, you are asked to contribute to a really worthwhile project. This textbook on canine hepatobiliary and pancreatic diseases has been such a project. There has long been a need for a book dedicated solely to these diseases and aimed at the interested small animal veterinarian in both first and second opinion practice. I am honoured to have been asked to edit a textbook addressing diseases in these two organs, which have dominated my clinical and research work for nearly three decades.

 

The layout of this book is, I believe, unique – inspired by the series editors Edward Feldman and Federico Fracassi, whose vision was integral to the book’s design. I thank them most sincerely for their patience and wise help during the planning of this book.

 

There are very few, if any, clinical signs that are pathognomonic for liver or pancreas disease, and the clinician must consider differential diagnoses for presenting signs. The first section allows this with problem-orientated algorithms addressing the owner’s presenting concerns and physical examination findings, guiding the clinician into the appropriate workup, and ensuring that other potential causes of these signs are not forgotten. The book is then divided into a section on pancreatic diseases and a section on liver diseases. The organ sections start with a detailed consideration of clinical pathology, imaging, and biopsy acquisition, with additional chapters on the interpretation of cytology and histology in the liver section, all written by experts in their fields. This is followed by chapters on specific diseases of the pancreas and liver. There are many helpful algorithms, tables, figures, and videos, both in the printed book and ebook, aimed to make this a practical resource for the busy veterinary practitioner.

 

Not only internal medicine specialists and residents but also specialist soft tissue surgeons, nutritionists, clinical pathologists, veterinary pathologists, oncologists, diagnostic imagers, an anaesthetist, a toxicologist, and a neurologist have contributed to this work – so there is a sense that having this book on your bookshelf is like having all these specialists in your clinic to consult on those difficult cases.

 

The result is an up-to-date, and we hope complete, resource of pancreatic and liver diseases in dogs. Diseases of the liver and pancreas can cause a degree of despair in veterinary practitioners – so much about the causes and treatments of these diseases is poorly understood, and too many cases remain idiopathic. Nonetheless, over recent years, clinical research has started to improve our understanding, as detailed in this book, and it is clear that logical workup and treatment of our cases really can make a difference to both the quality and quantity of life. If this book results in increased enthusiasm amongst veterinarians in both first opinion and specialist practice to learn more about liver and pancreas disease in dogs, to treat their cases more carefully and positively, and to undertake more vital clinical research in this area, it will have achieved its goals.

 

Enormous thanks are due to the really talented group of authors who have been kind enough to contribute to this book. You have all been wonderful to work with. I hope you have enjoyed our interactions as much as I have. You have given this book so much time and effort, and I have learned a lot from reading your work. I thank you all most sincerely. In addition, this would not have been possible if it were not for the extraordinary work and passion of the team from Edra and, in particular, Costanza Smeraldi, whose enthusiasm, wise and patient guidance, and hard work have made this the smoothest, most efficient, and high-quality process imaginable. Thank you all!

 

Chapter 1Vomiting

 

Chapter 2 Diarrhea

 

Chapter 3 Weight loss

 

Chapter 4 Poor appetite/no appetite

 

Chapter 5 Polyphagia

 

Chapter 6 Polyuria/polydipsia

 

Chapter 7 Lethargy/stupor/pacing

 

Chapter 8 Jaundice 33

 

Chapter 9 Dark feces or melena

 

Chapter 10 Abdominal enlargement

 

Chapter 11 Cranial abdominal pain

 

Chapter 12Petechiae and ecchymoses

 

 

 

Chapter 13 Nonspecific laboratory findings in pancreatic disease

 

Chapter 14 More specific laboratory tests for exocrine pancreatic disease

 

Chapter 15 Pancreatic imaging

 

Chapter 16 Pancreatic biopsy

 

 

 

Chapter 17 Introduction to the anatomy and physiology of the exocrine pancreas

 

Chapter 18 Acute pancreatitis

 

Chapter 19 Chronic pancreatitis

 

Chapter 20 Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency

 

Chapter 21 Neoplasia of the exocrine pancreas in dogs

 

Chapter 22 Nutrition for acute and chronic pancreatitis and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency

 

Chapter 23 Analgesia in acute and chronic pancreatitis

 

 

 

Chapter 24 Nonspecific laboratory tests in hepatobiliary disease

 

Chapter 25 Laboratory tests more specific for hepatobiliary disease

 

Chapter 26 Imaging the liver, biliary system, and portal vasculature

 

Chapter 27 Liver biopsy

 

Chapter 28 Interpretation of cytological examination of the liver

 

Chapter 29 Interpretation of liver biopsy reports

 

 

 

Chapter 30 Introduction to the liver anatomy and physiology

 

Chapter 31 Acute toxic hepatopathy

 

Chapter 32 Acute infectious liver disease and hepatic abscess

 

Chapter 33 Chronic hepatitis: copper-associated

 

Chapter 34 Chronic hepatitis: idiopathic, autoimmune, and other non-copper-associated causes

 

Chapter 35 Gallbladder and biliary tract diseases: mucoceles, biliary tract, and gallbladder infections

 

Chapter 36 Congenital vascular diseases

 

Chapter 37 Other congenital liver diseases: ductal plate and gallbladder disorders

 

Chapter 38 Canine vacuolar hepatopathies, hepatocutaneous syndrome, and amyloidosis

 

Chapter 39 Liver tumors in dogs

 

Chapter 40 Nutrition for acute and chronic liver disease