Bile is a bitter alkaline fluid secreted by the liver that helps in digestion and removal of waste materials from the body. It is stored in the gallbladder until required. It is released into the small intestine to aid in the digestion and emulsification of food so that it can be used by the body or carried out of the body as waste.
Cholestasis is obstruction of the bile duct preventing normal flow of bile from the liver to the small intestine. The condition could be due to a number of underlying diseases including diseases of the liver, gallbladder, or pancreas.
Miniature schnauzers and Shetland sheepdogs are predisposed to pancreatitis and developing cholestasis. It is commonly seen in middle-aged and older dogs in both male and female dogs.
Symptoms vary depending upon the underlying disease responsible for this condition. Some common symptoms are tiredness, jaundice, polyphagia , bleeding disorders, anemia, weight loss, pale colored stools, and orange urine.
