Dog Liver Anatomy

The liver is contained entirely within the rib cage to the right of the midline. Alt ast ggt albumin and bilirubin are important values on the chemistry profile that are often abnormal in dogs that have liver disease.

Canine Brain Atlas

The liver is responsible for several processes in a dogs body.

Dog liver anatomy. In dogs the livers left lobe medial sublobe quadrate lobe and right lobe medial sublobe encircle the gallbladder. A consistent finding with liver disease is a low protein level hypoproteinemia. Complete obstruction of the hepatic artery is fatal.

The liver is almost entirely intra thoracic. The liver also helps a dog metabolize fat protein carbohydrates vitamins and minerals. The fissures subdivide the liver of dogs and cats into five lobes four sublobes and two processes figure 95 1.

Additionally the liver filters out the toxins and waste found in foods and medications. Liver disease in dogs is diagnosed through history physical examination complete blood count bile acid testing urinalysis radiographs x ray abdominal ultrasound and biopsy. It is less lobated.

This low level usually occurs only when the liver has been severely diseased for a prolonged period of time because of the great reserve capacity of the liver to produce more albumin. As the body contorts fissures allow the lobes to move over each other without risk of parenchymal fractures which would be a likely sequela to bending forces placed on such a friable organ. An enlarged caudate process contacts the right kidney.

Canine liver and anatomy. The caudate lobe extends dorsally and caudally ending with the renal fossa which contains the cranial pole of the right kidney. It creates bile to aid digestion and helps rid the body of waste.

Both the left and right lobes are subdivided.

Liver Model Liver Anatomy Digestive System Anatomy Human