Gastroduodenal ulceration in dogs with liver disease

Background Liver disease is frequently cited as a cause of gastroduodenal ulceration (GDU) in dogs but studies regarding GDU and liver disease are limited. Objectives To document the presence of GDU in dogs with liver disease. Animals Forty dogs that underwent liver biopsy, computed tomographic (CT) angiography or both at the University of Florida Small Animal Hospital to diagnose congenital or acquired liver disease. Methods Cross‐sectional study. Dogs had gastroduodenoscopy performed with photographic and video documentation in a standardized fashion. Lesions (hemorrhage, erosions, ulcers) in the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum were scored based on a grading scale. Presence of esophageal varices was recorded. Dogs were categorized into 4 groups according to cause of liver disease (inflammatory disease, cirrhosis, congenital, other). Presence or absence of ulcers, erosions or both as well as total endoscopic scores were compared among groups. Results Forty dogs were enrolled with the following distribution: 13 congenital, 13 inflammatory, 3 cirrhosis, and 11 other. Four dogs had GDU (10%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3%‐24%) and 6 dogs had erosions (15%; 95% CI, 6%‐30%). No difference was found in total endoscopic score ( P  = .21) or in the proportion of dogs with ulcers, erosions or both versus those without ( P  = .25) among the groups. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Gastroduodenal ulceration was found in 10% of dogs with liver disease in this population. Additional studies are warranted to confirm these findings in larger numbers of dogs with specific disease etiologies.