My dog has copper storage disease. Is it liver failure or reversible?

Question

hi, my dog has been diagnosed with copper storage disease from a biopsy of the liver after consistent increase in ALT levels but has no obvious symptoms. Vet says her liver is smaller than usual which I understand means that it is degenerating. Does this mean she is in liver failure or could we have caught this in time to reverse damage? Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Female | spayed | 7 years and 10 months old | 60 lbs

Kevin Sanada, DVM · Accepted Answer

Liver failure is diagnosed by evaluating the bile acids and bilirubin in the blood. Often, the bilirubin is analyzed in the same panel as the ALT, so your vet should have a good idea of this. The liver has good potential to heal, but it depends on the amount of damage done and how far along the copper storage disease is. With treatment, the copper metabolism can be corrected, but will not reverse some of the damage done already. If Minnow has had a biopsy, then your veterinarian should have some good information regarding the state of her liver at this time, so it's best to ask him or her. I'm really sorry to hear about this. It must be very difficult to deal with this right now, but please know that you seem to be doing everything right and with the correct treatment, you can help her keep from getting any worse. I hope this information helps and Minnow gets better soon.

My dog has copper storage disease. Is it liver failure or reversible?

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