Liver
The liver is present in the abdominal cavity, against the diaphragm, and next to the stomach. The liver is the vital organ of the body that performs a number of important body functions that include:
- Detoxifying and filtering the blood coming from the intestine and other parts of the body
- Helps in sugar, protein, and fat metabolism
- Produces bile which is later stored in the gall bladder that aids in fats emulsification
Portosystemic shunt is a liver abnormality where there is an abnormal blood flow through the liver and is most common in young dogs while older dogs may develop infection, inflammation, cirrhosis, and cancer of the liver. Liver diseases may be symptomatic such as in the case of jaundice the skin looks pale, or they may be asymptomatic especially in their initial stages, and are found out incidentally during routine laboratory tests. Treating the disease in its initial stage has more chances of getting rid of it and regular checkups help in the early detection of liver diseases.