A new UC Davis study is looking for a blood test for copper-associated liver disease, a condition that can stay silent until it is too late

Ellie, a young Labrador, looked well, and her liver blood values were normal. Then her owners enrolled her in a clinical trial at UC Davis, and screening showed that her liver was accumulating excess copper. Thankfully, because it was found early, her owners say it can now be treated (Louis, 2026; Warren, 2026).

Her story sits at the centre of a new study into copper-associated hepatopathy, a liver disease in which copper builds up in the liver and drives progressive damage. The study’s lead investigator, Dr Tarini Ullal, describes the problem as “highly prevalent and incredibly insidious”, and warns that a dog’s liver values “might be completely normal” while he feels perfectly well “right up until the end stage of the disease” (Warren, 2026). No prevalence figures have been published with the announcement, so we cannot yet say how common it is in any given population.

Why a normal result can mislead

The liver has a large reserve capacity, so signs tend to appear only once disease is advanced, and the usual liver enzymes are not sensitive for the early stages (Tinoco-Najera and Lidbury, 2023). Early signs are vague: reduced appetite, lethargy, nausea, vomiting and weight loss. Later disease can bring fluid in the abdomen, jaundice and changes in behaviour caused by liver failure (Tinoco-Najera and Lidbury, 2023).

Confirming the condition currently means a liver biopsy with special copper stains and, ideally, measurement of the copper itself (Tinoco-Najera and Lidbury, 2023). That is a real barrier to routine screening, and it is the gap this research hopes to close.

Why Labradors

The Labrador is a recognised predisposed breed, and females appear to be affected more often than males (Ullal et al., 2025). Genetics play a part too, but not a simple one. A variant in a copper-handling gene, ATP7B, has been linked to higher liver copper in Labradors, yet a review co-authored by Dr Ullal notes that it is not fully predictive or diagnostic. In the studies it discusses, a sizeable share of dogs with high liver copper did not carry the variant, and some healthy dogs did. The same review concludes that dietary copper appears to be more influential than genetics in dogs (Ullal et al., 2025). Commercial diets vary widely in copper content, and some contain several times the minimum allowance (Tinoco-Najera and Lidbury, 2023).

What the study will do

The UC Davis team is comparing three groups of Labradors: dogs with copper-associated hepatopathy, dogs with immune-mediated chronic hepatitis, and healthy controls. They are collecting blood and liver samples to look at genetic, metabolic, environmental and dietary contributors, and to develop blood-based biomarkers that could diagnose the disease without a biopsy and tell it apart from immune-mediated hepatitis (Louis, 2026). The work is funded by a US$233,211 American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation grant that runs from October 2025 to September 2028 (Louis, 2026).

What it means for an owner today

Nothing changes overnight, but a few points are worth holding on to. Routine blood work is a useful check, yet this research is a reminder that normal values do not rule the condition out in a predisposed breed. An owner of a Labrador with unexplained appetite loss, lethargy or vomiting should raise it with the vet, who can decide whether further investigation is warranted. Treatment, when needed, centres on a copper-restricted diet and medication that binds or blocks copper, and a vet manages it (Tinoco-Najera and Lidbury, 2023). Copper is an essential nutrient, so an owner should not change a diet or add supplements on a hunch.

With early diagnosis and treatment, a dog with this disease can do well. Dogs cannot be given a liver transplant, so catching it early matters (Ullal et al., 2025).

References

• Louis J. (2026) New study takes aim at copper-associated liver disease in Labrador retrievers. dvm360, 17 to 18 September.
• Warren R. (2026) Tackling a hidden threat: new study aims to defeat copper hepatopathy in Labradors. UC Davis Weill School of Veterinary Medicine, 14 September.
• Tinoco-Najera A. and Lidbury J.A. (2023) Copper-associated hepatopathy in dogs. Today’s Veterinary Practice, 13 February.
• Ullal T., Choi E.A., Gui D. and Medici V. (2025) Comparative review of copper-associated chronic hepatitis in dogs and Wilson disease in humans. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, doi:10.3389/fvets.2025.1692603.