Prognostic value of clinical signs and blood parameters in equids suffering from hepatic diseases

The purpose of this retrospective study was to further identify in the equine species the clinical signs and blood parameters that could be useful to identify a hepatic disease and act as predictors of the outcome in animals suffering from an acute hepatic insufficiency. The study included 31 equids that were hospitalized at the University of Liege and that suffered from a hepatic (group 1, 17 cases of hepatitis; group 2, 11 cases of hyperlipemia) or post-hepatic (group 3, 3 cases of cholelithiasis) disease. Frequency of the clinical signs and values of selected blood parameters on admission were compared statistically between surviving and non-surviving animals. The most frequently presented clinical signs were depression, decreased appetite or anorexia, fever, tachycardia, polypnea, icterus, and congested mucous membranes. Frequency of the clinical signs and blood parameter values were not statistically different in surviving and non-surviving animals, with the exception of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), which were significantly higher in animals with fatal outcome, with a cutoff value of 224 and 820 IU/L, respectively. These data could help the clinician identify a hepatic disease in equids and evaluate the prognosis in equids with a hepatic insufficiency.