A fistula is an abnormal connection or passageway between two organs or vessels that normally do not connect. A fistula is a disease condition but it can be surgically created for therapeutic reasons.
An arteriovenous (AV) fistula is an abnormal connection between an artery and a vein where as an arteriovenous (AV) fistula is an abnormal passage between the proper liver (hepatic) arteries and the inner liver (intrahepatic) portal veins.
It is an uncommon and often congenital disease but can also develop through surgical injury, trauma, and abnormal tissue or bone growth (neoplasia).
Common symptoms that are on display in affected dogs include lethargy, anorexia, vomiting, dierrhea, weight loss, excessive thirst, dementia and abdominal swelling. Besides, there are various other signs which are related to this condition such as Ascites, congenital heart malformations, hemorrhages, abnormal portal vein coagulation (thrombosis), protein loss in the kidney (nephropathy), intestinal abnormality (enteropathy) hypertension, liver disease, and cirrhosis of liver.
The condition can affect central nervous system as well causing distemper and other infectious disorders, lead poisoning, water on the brain (hydrocephalus), idiopathic epilepsy, metabolic disorders and brain degeneration associated with liver failure (hepatic encephalopathy).
