Copper Toxicosis in Dogs

Category: Liver
Inheritance: Autosomal recessive
Breeds documented: 2
Published sources: 4

Overview

Copper can build up inside the liver when the balance between intake and removal is disturbed. Excess copper can damage liver cells, leading to ongoing inflammation and eventually scarring that disrupts liver function. Some forms have a genetic basis, while diet and other liver disease can also contribute. A dog may have liver changes before obvious illness develops, so outward signs do not always reveal early disease.

Signs to watch for

Reduced appetite
Vomiting
Weight loss
Low energy or weakness
Yellow tint to the eyes and gums

Age at onset varies, and early liver changes can occur before visible illness.

When to get help Arrange a vet visit promptly for appetite loss, vomiting or unexplained weight loss.

Diagnosis and tests

A liver biopsy is central to diagnosis, because it lets the vet examine damage and measure copper in liver tissue. Blood tests may show liver abnormalities but do not replace tissue assessment. DNA tests can identify some known risk variants. A negative genetic result cannot exclude every cause of copper-related liver disease.

Breeds with documented risk

2 breeds

By breed size

1 Small
1 Large

BeauceronLarge · Herding Group
Bedlington TerrierSmall · Terrier Group

Inheritance

This condition has more than one known form, and different breeds inherit it in different ways. The sources list the form found in each breed.

Autosomal recessive
Labrador Retriever, Huntaway, New Zealand Heading Dog
A dog is affected only if it inherits two copies of the gene variant, one from each parent. A dog with one copy is a carrier: usually healthy, but able to pass the variant on. When two carriers are bred, on average one puppy in four is affected. A DNA test can tell clear, carrier and at-risk dogs apart.
As stated by OMIA
Multifactorial
Several genes and the environment together set the risk. Diet, growth rate, weight and exercise can all play a part. There is no single DNA test. Screening the parents (for example hip or elbow scores) and choosing from lines with good results lowers the risk, but does not remove it.
As stated by OMIA
Autosomal recessive
Bedlington Terrier
As stated by OMIA

We've gathered what published sources say about this condition, so you can talk it through with your vet. It isn't veterinary advice: you and your vet know your dog best.