Dietary management of labrador retrievers with subclinical hepatic copper accumulation

BACKGROUND: Genetic and environmental factors, including dietary copper intake, contribute to the pathogenesis of copper-associated hepatitis in Labrador retrievers. Clinical disease is preceded by a subclinical phase in which copper accumulates in the liver.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of a low-copper, high-zinc diet on hepatic copper concentration in Labrador retrievers with increased hepatic copper concentrations.

ANIMALS: Twenty-eight clinically healthy, client-owned Labrador retrievers with a mean hepatic copper concentration of 919 ± 477 mg/kg dry weight liver (dwl) that were related to dogs previously diagnosed with clinical copper-associated hepatitis.

METHODS: Clinical trial in which dogs were fed a diet containing 1.3 ± 0.3 mg copper/Mcal and 64.3 ± 5.9 mg zinc/Mcal. Hepatic copper concentrations were determined in liver biopsy samples approximately every 6 months. Logistic regression was performed to investigate effects of sex, age, initial hepatic copper concentration and pedigree on the ability to normalize hepatic copper concentrations.

RESULTS: In responders (15/28 dogs), hepatic copper concentrations decreased from a mean of 710 ± 216 mg/kg dwl copper to 343 ± 70 mg/kg dwl hepatic copper after a median of 7.1 months (range, 5.5-21.4 months). Dogs from a severely affected pedigree were at increased risk for inability to have their hepatic copper concentrations normalized with dietary treatment.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Feeding a low-copper, high-zinc diet resulted in a decrease in hepatic copper concentrations in a subset of clinically normal Labrador retrievers with previous hepatic copper accumulation. A positive response to diet may be influenced by genetic background. Determination of clinical benefit requires further study.