In our experience the most common cause of clinical icterus occurs secondary to pancreatitis. Biliary obstruction may also be caused by biliary concretions, stenosis of the common bile duct, neoplasia, cholelithiasis, or choledocholithiasis. Cholelithiasis occurs uncommonly in the dog and even less frequently in the cat. In the southeast US biliary obstruction secondary to liver flukes are common in cats due to the ingestion of anole lizards indigenous to the area. Proposed etiologies for cholelithiasis are bile stasis, infection, changes in bile composition, injury to the bile duct mucosa, and reflux of pancreatic juices. Cholelithiasis in itself does not usually cause overt clinical signs in dogs or cats unless complete obstruction occurs. Occasionally, choleliths formed in the gallbladder or bile ducts will pass into the common bile duct and cause complete or partial obstruction. Clinical signs associated with biliary obstruction include anorexia, vomiting, abdominal pain, and icterus.
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