2017 ACVIM Forum Research Abstract Program

Significant differences between the urine metabolites of dogs with chronic hepatitis and healthy control dogs were identified. Further targeted assessment of the altered metabolites is needed to validate these observations. Leptospiral infection is an infectious disease seen in dogs that has been shown to cause dysfunction in multiple organ systems but typically demonstrates a predilection to the liver and kidneys. Reports of chronic hepatitis caused by Leptospira spp. with absence of renal involvement are confined to small case series in individual kennels. To date, the role of this organism in idiopathic chronic hepatitis remains unknown. However, with the recent availability of Fluorescence In-Situ Hybridisation (FISH), accurate identification of spirochaetes in liver samples is possible. Consequently, this may help elucidate the role of the organism in cases of chronic canine hepatitis. The aim of this study was to describe the clinico-histopathological presentation of cases of hepatic leptospirosis diagnosed by FISH, with an absence of renal involvement.