Prognostic indicators in dogs with intra-hepatic portal hypertension

The primary goals of this retrospective study were to describe a population of dogs with portal hypertension secondary to liver disease, and to assess whether prognosis could be inferred from historical, clinical, and clinicopathological data.

Dogs (N = 76) diagnosed with intrahepatic portal hypertension between 2011 and 2020 were included; dogs with known congenital hepatic anomalies were excluded. Effect on survival was assessed using univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models for historical, clinical, and clinicopathological variables.

Dogs survived for a median of 14 d (range: 0 to 2028 d), with 31.6% being euthanized within 2 d of diagnosis and 23.7% surviving longer than 2 mo. Presence of jaundice and duration of clinical signs, expressed in days, were significantly associated with outcome in the univariable analysis (HR = 1.846, 95% CI: 1.094 to 3.117, P = 0.02; HR = 0.995, 95% CI: 0.990 to 1.000, P = 0.033, respectively). However, only presence of jaundice was significantly associated with increased hazard of death in the multivariable analysis.

Results of this study show that portal hypertension is associated with a poor prognosis; however, some dogs can show prolonged survival.

Clinical data can guide decision-making for clinicians and owners.