Acute Hepatic Failure

Acute hepatic failure describes a situation in which the liver loses much of its function over a short period — typically days rather than weeks or months. The liver carries out hundreds of tasks, from processing nutrients and making proteins to clearing toxins and supporting blood clotting, so when it fails suddenly, the effects can appear across many body systems at once. Owners often arrive at this page because their dog or cat has become quiet, off food, and visibly unwell over a brief window, sometimes with yellowing of the gums or whites of the eyes, confusion or altered behaviour, or vomiting. The speed and breadth of change tend to be striking. In some cases, a known trigger — such as ingestion of a toxin, a severe infection, or a drug reaction — may have preceded the deterioration; in others, the cause is not apparent at first encounter. This page explores the patterns that raise concern for acute hepatic failure, what happens inside the liver and the wider body when function declines rapidly, how the condition is investigated through blood tests and imaging, and the range of approaches used to support recovery or manage complications while the underlying cause is addressed.