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Is vecchiola degeneration serious for my senior Shih Tzu?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Female | spayed | 12 years and 8 months old | 17 lbs

What does a liver biopsy result of "vecchiola degeneration" mean for my 12 yr old shi-tzu?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on November 23rd, 2019

I think you have a typo here and meant to say Vacuolar degeneration. This is essentially an old dog change with the liver where the cells start to degenerate or reduce in numbers. Luckily this is a benign finding and no treatment would be recommended for this. : ) Check with your vet to ensure the rest of her labwork and ultrasound was clean, and if so there are no concerns at this time. Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and take care of your pet Lucy.

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