Evaluation of dogs presenting congenital portossystemic shunts during the period of 2017-2023 (retrospective) and 2024-2025 (prospective)

• Grant number: 24/13050-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2024
• End date: September 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Ayne Murata Hayashi
• Grantee: Teresa Vitória Graziel
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The liver is an organ responsible for multiple activities in animal organism, and its well-functioning is essential for maintaining homeostasis. Portosystemic shunts consist in small abnormal vases which connect portal circulation to systemic circulation, resulting in non-hepatic detoxification of blood originating from abdominal organs. This leads to the accumulation of undesirable substances in the organism and occurrence of associated diseases, such as hepatic encephalopathy. Shunts can be congenital or acquired, as well as intra or extrahepatic. Amongst the related symptoms are weight loss, vomiting and diarrhea, besides the ones associated with hepatic encephalopathy, such as seizures, ataxia and weakness. The present study aims to trace a characterization and correlation of congenital shunts, through descriptive statics analysis, according to sex, age, type, treatment, laboratory findings, pre and post operatory complications, and use of levetiracetam as prevention to postattenuation neurologic sings. All data were collected from dogs which received diagnosis, treatment and had their laboratory findings monitored in the Veterinarian Hospital of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science of University of São Paulo from 2017 to 2023, with a prospective for 2024 and 2025. Most cases refer to extra-hepatic congenital shunts, with six intrahepatic, which received surgical or clinical treatment until 2023. In-depth studies of this illness are of most importance to elucidate best therapeutic routes and prevention of neurological symptoms according to each patient singularity, since this disease is common to the routine of veterinarians.