Equine liver review underscores metabolism’s clinical importance

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A review article in The Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice highlights just how central the liver is to equine health, framing it as a metabolic, detoxifying, storage, and excretory organ with broad influence on whole-body homeostasis. Author Michelle Henry Barton describes the liver’s role in carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolism, nutrient storage, bile-related excretion, and clearance of endogenous and exogenous compounds, reinforcing why liver dysfunction can present with wide-ranging, sometimes nonspecific clinical signs in horses. Broader equine references align with that view, noting that the liver also supports clotting protein production, vitamin and mineral handling, ammonia detoxification, and immune-related functions. (merckvetmanual.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the review is a reminder that equine liver disease is rarely just a “liver problem.” Because hepatic dysfunction can affect energy balance, protein synthesis, toxin clearance, coagulation, and neurologic status, abnormal biochemistry or vague signs such as weight loss, inappetence, photosensitization, or behavior change may reflect a much broader metabolic disturbance. Merck’s equine guidance also notes that routine liver enzyme elevations can indicate injury without fully measuring function, which matters when deciding how aggressively to pursue bile acids, ammonia testing, imaging, biopsy, nutrition support, and monitoring. (merckvetmanual.com)

What to watch: Expect continued attention on earlier recognition of equine hepatic dysfunction, especially through better interpretation of clinicopathologic changes and nutritional management in horses with suspected liver compromise. (merckvetmanual.com)