Can dogs get hepatitis?

Yes, dogs can get hepatitis, usually caused by poisoning or adverse reactions to medication. This can lead to symptoms such as poor mental state or liver pain. If not treated promptly, the condition will worsen and impact the pet's quality of life.

Causes of Dog Hepatitis

The main causes include infection, poisoning, drug factors, and autoimmune factors. Infections include bacterial and viral infections, such as cholangiohepatitis and canine infectious hepatitis. Poisoning can result from industrial alcohol, isoniazid poisoning, and organophosphorus pesticide poisoning. Drug factors, such as long-term use of hormones leading to steroid hepatitis, can also cause dog hepatitis.

Early Symptoms of Dog Hepatitis

Early symptoms of dog hepatitis include reduced or absent appetite, lethargy, and yellow urine. These gradually progress to yellowing of the mucous membranes and then the entire body. During this process, the dog may have a high fever, which is usually caused by inflammatory reactions due to liver cell necrosis, liver dysfunction, reduced detoxification and excretion function, or viralemia.

What Dogs with Hepatitis Can Eat

Dog hepatitis is often caused by improper diet or viral infection. Therefore, it is best to feed dogs only dog food or prescription liver food, and avoid feeding human food. Human food contains high amounts of salt, which can affect a dog's health, damage the skin and hair, and increase the burden on the digestive system. It's better to just feed dog food. If a dog has hepatitis, it's best to take it to a pet hospital for treatment instead of blindly using medication, which may worsen the condition.