Prognostic indicators in dogs with intra-hepatic portal hypertension.

OBJECTIVES

The primary goals of this retrospective study were to describe a population of dogs with portal hypertension secondary to liver disease, and to assess whether prognosis could be inferred from historical, clinical, and clinicopathological data.

ANIMALS AND PROCEDURES

Dogs (N = 76) diagnosed with intrahepatic portal hypertension between 2011 and 2020 were included; dogs with known congenital hepatic anomalies were excluded. Effect on survival was assessed using univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models for historical, clinical, and clinicopathological variables.

RESULTS

Dogs survived for a median of 14 d (range: 0 to 2028 d), with 31.6% being euthanized within 2 d of diagnosis and 23.7% surviving longer than 2 mo. Presence of jaundice and duration of clinical signs, expressed in days, were significantly associated with outcome in the univariable analysis (HR = 1.846, 95% CI: 1.094 to 3.117, = 0.02; HR = 0.995, 95% CI: 0.990 to 1.000, = 0.033, respectively). However, only presence of jaundice was significantly associated with increased hazard of death in the multivariable analysis.

CONCLUSION

Results of this study show that portal hypertension is associated with a poor prognosis; however, some dogs can show prolonged survival.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Clinical data can guide decision-making for clinicians and owners.