The Relationship between the Liver and Gut in Health and Disease and How to Intervene (Planned by CGS)

In health, the liver and the gastrointestinal tract have a reciprocal relationship whereby the liver receives the controlled transfer of gut luminal nutrients via the portal circulation, and the gut receives hepatic bile acids and other metabolic regulators that participate in nutrient metabolism and microbial crosstalk. Additionally, the gastrointestinal mucosal, vascular, and immunological barriers serve to prevent pathogenic bacteria and detrimental by-products and metabolites from entering the portal circulation. Gastrointestinal complications of hepatic disease include intestinal barrier dysfunction, alterations of the gut microbiome, imbalances of bacterial products and metabolites, and bile acid dysmetabolism, all of which may result in clinical signs such as vomiting, diarrhea, and dysorexia. Strategies to reduce gastrointestinal complications and improve the gut-liver axis in dogs with liver disease through targeted nutritional and therapeutic interventions are of critical importance and will be the focus of this seminar.