Therapeutic Efficacy of Different Drugs Combined with Ursodeoxycholic Acid for Canine Hepatic Dysfunction

The present study aims to find the therapeutic efficacy of different drugs in combination with ursodeoxycholic acid to find an effective therapeutic protocol for canine hepatic dysfunction.

Liver dysfunction in dogs presents significant challenges to veterinary practice, with clinical symptoms ranging from modest to severe. The clinical manifestations of hepatic disorders are frequently nonspecific. Dogs with hepatic dysfunction may present with a number of clinical signs, including anxious symptoms such as polydipsia, polyuria, lethargy, ascites, jaundice, and nervous disorders. For the development of optimised treatment strategies, this study was conducted at the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, G.B.P.U.A. & T. Pantnagar, U.S. Nagar (Uttarakhand) from September 2021 to April 2022 in dogs diagnosed with hepatic dysfunction. The study involved a therapeutic trial on dogs with liver impairment. 18 dogs diagnosed with hepatic dysfunction were divided into three groups, i.e., B, C, and D. Each group received different therapeutic protocols, and changes in hematobiochemical profiles were observed and compared before and after treatment. Dogs in Group B received ursodeoxycholic acid, Group C received ursodeoxycholic acid and silymarin while Group D received ursodeoxycholic acid and L-ornithine L-aspartate. Haematological and biochemical parameters were evaluated at presentation and after 21 days of treatment. Ursodeoxycholic acid demonstrated efficacy in improving biochemical parameters, with additional benefits observed when combined with L-ornithine, L-Aspartate, or Silymarin. Group D exhibited the most significant improvement, suggesting the effectiveness of combination therapy. In this study, a combination of ursodeoxycholic acid and L-ornithine L-aspartate was found to be more effective as a therapeutic agent in canine hepatic dysfunction, followed by a combination of ursodeoxycholic acid and silymarin and ursodeoxycholic acid as an individual therapeutic agent.

These findings underline the importance of regular monitoring and appropriate therapeutics in managing hepatic dysfunction in dogs, with combination therapies offering enhanced recovery through hepatoprotective, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. The study can contribute to the selection of good therapeutic medicines that can be used in combination with ursodeoxycholic acid in dogs with hepatic dysfunction.