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Canine Liver Disease and Feline Liver Disease
We have proven success treating liver disease, liver shunts and other congenital liver conditions using diet, supplements and a holistic treatment plan. See our testimonials.
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| Schedule a Telephone Consultation and Learn: |
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How to Prepare A Homeade Liver Disease Diet For Your Pet |
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Complete Holistic Liver Disease Plan For Your Pet |
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How to Help Your Pet's Liver Using Diet and Supplements |
 Liver Rescue
Liver Terrain
Probiotic | |
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Ask Ariel Your Pet Nutritionist can provide expert advice on healing canine liver disease and feline liver disease. We also have experience working with patients with congenital liver conditions such as liver shunts and hepatic microvascular dysplasia (see below.) We have proven success stories, especially with older pets---view the stories of Cody Quinton and Bailey Thomas by clicking our Testimonials page. The primary objective is to cleanse and detoxify the liver while using digestive enzymes to reduce the workload on the liver. Susan Davis, CCN can teach you how to prepare a homemade or modfiied homemade liver diet that will greatly help your pet's liver condtion. This is a more natural and wholesome alternative to using commercially prepared liver diets which many pets don't want to eat. .
Gunnar
Canine Liver Disease
"My name is Gunnar. Here I am at my 16th birthday party having a blast. My mom did a consultation with Susan Davis and I am feeling so much better. I currently take Liver Rescue III, SAMe, and LypoZyme, which are all pills that help the liver. Since I have been on these pills, I have been feeling really great. My appetite increased and I have a lot more energy. My mom says that without these great products, I wouldn't be here and both of us highly recommend them!"
December 2007
Oregon
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Please don't wait until your pet is sick to start the detoxification process. The longer you wait, the harder it will be for your pet to recover. A little preventative care now will protect your pet's liver and lifespan.. Many pets are taking medications (e.g. arthritis medications) which can increase blood liver values and cause liver disease in the future. It is a good idea to start your pet on a liver detoxification prototocol such as Liver Rescue and Apo-Hepat BEFORE your pet's liver enzymes are elevated. |
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Is your pet tired, sluggish, slowing down? These can be signs of toxins building up in your pet's liver and blood supply. If the filtering system (your dog or cat’s liver) is overloaded, toxins, dead cells and microorganisms will build up in the bloodstream---increasing the workload of the immune system and opening the door for dog liver disease or cat liver disease.
"My name is Bailey. I am a 15 1/2 year old dog. My blood liver values dramatically improved with diet and nutritional supplements. Please read my story by clicking here"
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The liver is one of the few organs in the body that can grow new tissue. Ask Ariel has many patients that follow our dietary and supplement protocol whose liver panel returns to normal over the course of a few months. We have seen especially good results when clients schedule a consultation and follow a homemade diet regimen rather than using prepared prescription food.
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For basic liver detoxification, start with Liver Rescue, Apo-Hepat Liver Detoxification, SAMe and Protease. These products are the most basic fundamental products to start with in treating your pet's liver condition. |
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Liver shunts and other congenital liver conditions--You may just have learned that your pet has been diagnosed with hepatic microvascular dysplasia (see below) or a liver shunt. A liver shunt is a blood vessel that bypasses the liver, carrying blood from the intestines, stomach, spleen, and pancreas to the heart before it can be filtered and cleansed of proteins, sugars, bacteria, and toxins. Liver shunts can be congenital or acquired after birth. All fetal mammals have a shunt but it generally closes down before or shortly after birth so that the baby's liver takes over the functions of filtration, storage, and production. In a congenital liver shunt, the shunt doesn't close down at birth, the animal's liver doesn't function properly and toxins quickly accumulate in the blood supply.
Clinical signs of a liver shunt include failure to gain weight, stunted growth, depression, weakness, vomiting, seizures, excessive drinking and urination, inappetance and more. The problems will typically be most dramatic within a few hours after eating. Sometimes, there may very few clinical signs except that the puppy’s blood test is abnormal.
Treatment for puppies and dogs with a liver shunt depends upon a number of factors including the location of the liver shunt. A liver shunt can be located inside the liver “intrahepatic” or outside of the liver “extrahepatic”. It is critical that you see a specialist to explore your pet’s surgical options.
Microvascular dysplasia-The liver performs many functions including filtering out toxins, storing sugar, and making proteins. Most of the blood that is carried to the liver for these processes arrives via the portal vein, which drains the intestines, stomach, pancreas, and spleen. The portal vein, once inside the liver, then branches into smaller and smaller vessels so that the blood can move throughout the tissues to each liver cell. Hepatic microvascular dysplasia is diagnosed when the microscopic vessels are abnormal on a liver biopsy. In this condition, the pet's liver is not functioning optimally and thus there is a build up of toxins. The liver may be small or atrophied. The dog may have similar symptoms as a dog with liver shunt or in some cases, may not have any clinical signs at all. In either situation, diet and nutritional supplements along with medical management by a veterinarian, can help your pet feel significantly better.
Dr. David Gordon, holistic veterinarian and Susan Davis, CCN have successfully helped many patients with liver disease, liver shunts and various liver conditions. They offer inperson office visits in Lake Forest, California at VCA Arroyo Animal Hospital but telephone consultations are also available to clients worldwide. There are both conventional and holistic options available for your pet and we urge to explore all of them by consulting with us. Click here to learn more about a pet health consultation for your pet.
Canine Liver Disease and Feline Liver Disease was the topic of a recent newsletter. We have included the newsletter here for additional information about canine and feline liver disease. | | liv Mic
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At some point in your pet’s life, you may receive a call from your veterinarian advising you that your pet’s liver function is less than perfect. It is not uncommon for one or more liver values to be out of the normal range on a routine blood panel. This is more likely to occur in older pets but can occur even in young puppies and kittens. The pet may or may not display symptoms so this is why it is important to get these routine laboratory tests done on a regular basis. This newsletter will provide an overview of the importance of a healthy liver function and offer some treatment options to increase your pet’s longevity and vitality.
| Liver Disease in Pets
 Conventional Veterinary Perspective Dr. David Gordon, Holistic Veterinarian
The liver is the main filtering system for the body since all blood supply travels through it to be detoxified. The liver performs many critical functions including:
• metabolism of fats, protein and carbohydrates
• filtering harmful substances from the blood (e.g. toxins and/or medications)
• storage of vitamins and minerals
• production of bile which aids in digestion and absorption of nutrients
• glycogen storage (involved in blood sugar regulation)
• synthesis of important proteins such as albumin and clotting factors
• red blood cell maintenance, in conjunction with the spleen
A pet may have NO outward symptoms that the liver is overburdened. It may only be discovered in a laboratory test and/or a physical exam by your veterinarian. During the physical examination, your veterinarian will look for signs of liver disease such as a distended abdomen due to enlargement of the liver, bruising under the skin, fever (due to secondary infection or inflammation), pain when pressure is applied to the abdomen or yellowish discoloration of the ears, gums and hairless areas of the skin. Anemia might be observed by checking the mucous membranes for a normal pink color.
The veterinarian will also look for symptoms such as:
1) Loss of energy
2) Digestive problems, diarrhea and/or constipation
3) Light tan or grey stools
4) Darker urine color (can be orange)
5) Changes in behavior such as pacing, circling or even seizures
6) Excess water drinking and urination
Since pets may have no symptoms however, diagnostic laboratory tests will provide the most valuable source of information. For example, a young pet may have a congenital condition such as microvascular dysplasia or a liver shunt and the symptoms may not be apparent until the pet is one or years old. A blood test may be the only way to know. There are certain blood values, for example, that if abnormal, may signify liver disease. These can include:
• Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) - An enzyme that becomes elevated with liver disease.
• Alkaline Phosphatase (ALKP) - An enzyme produced by the biliary tract (liver) can be elevated in liver and non-liver related diseases. High levels can indicate bone disease, liver disease or bile flow blockage.
• Gamma Glutamyltransferase (GGT) - An enzyme produced in many tissues as well as the liver. Like alkaline phosphatase, it may be elevated in the serum of patients with bile duct diseases. Elevations in GGT, especially along with elevations in alkaline phosphatase, can indicate impaired bile flow
• Total Billirubin (TBIL) - A component of bile, bilirubin is secreted by the liver into the intestinal tract. Bilirubin is a byproduct of the breakdown of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is found within red blood cells and carries oxygen to the tissues. When red blood cells die, hemoglobin is broken down by the liver as bilirubin. Elevated bilirubin levels can be caused by excessive numbers of red blood cells breaking down or when the liver is diseased and unable to clear the bilirubin from the blood. Also if there is an obstruction in the bile duct, the flow of bilirubin into the intestine is impaired and this can also cause elevation of bilribuin in the blood.
• Albumin (ALB) - Produced by the liver, albumin is a plasma protein that helps control osmotic pressure in the tissues. When albumin is low, fluids can leak resulting in a swollen abdomen. Low levels of albumin can indicate chronic liver or kidney disease, or parasitic infections such as hookworm. High levels indicate dehydration and loss of protein.
A urine analysis and XRAYS can provide valuable information as well. If signs and symptoms appear that a pet’s liver is not functioning optimally, additional tests are warranted to determine the underlying cause. A bile acid test, ultrasound and/or liver biopsy may be needed to determine the reasons behind your pet’s poor liver function. Your veterinarian will recommend medications, diet changes and potential surgical procedures upon determining the cause of your pet’s liver disease.
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 Holistic Alternatives for Liver Disease Susan Blake Davis, Holistic Pet Health Practitioner
In many ways, your pet’s liver is analogous to the oil filter in a car. You need to keep it clean or the “blood” (e.g oil in the car) gets dirty. When the liver’s job becomes overextended, the body cannot filter out as much as it should and toxins are released into the bloodstream. These toxins can cause harm to other tissues which in holistic medicine, is thought to be the root of disease. Since the liver is an integral component of so many critical bodily functions, it is easy to see a domino effect that can occur when the liver becomes overloaded. For instance, when a person drinks too much alcohol, the liver can’t keep up with the necessary “cleaning action” to process out the toxins, and people often develop other health conditions, such as increased levels of fat in the blood (triglycerides). Similarly, if the liver becomes overloaded following years of poor diet, medications and exposure to toxins, your pet’s liver can become overburdened as well.
It is a good idea to help your pet’s liver function by using holistic care BEFORE liver disease sets in. For example, if your pet is taking pain medications such as Rimadyl or Deramaxx, these medications can negatively impact your pet’s liver. However, if you use liver detoxification supplements such as Liver Rescue or ApoHepat, you can minimize the potential impact of these medications. The liver is one of the few organs in the body that can regenerate new healthy tissue so it is not uncommon to see patients with compromised liver functions show significant improvements with our holistic protocols.
Certain foods can help to naturally detoxify the liver. Green vegetables contain not only valuable vitamins and minerals but they also contain natural cleansers and antioxidants that help to purify the blood and the liver. Giving your pet green vegetables such as green beans, squash or asparagus, along with some carrots can provide fresh enzymes and extra nutrition. Omega 3 fatty acids found in Amazing Omegas can be very helpful too. In general, pets with liver conditions need a diet low in animal fat, high in Omega 3s, reduced protein and high in fiber. Prescription diets are available but a homemade, balanced diet specifically for liver conditions is best. The homemade diet would need to take into account your pet’s overall health status and blood test results or it could result in additional problems. For example, cooked fish is often helpful for pets with liver disease but not if the kidney values are elevated as well. Telephone consultations are available at Ask Ariel if you would like to develop a homemade diet for your pet.
It is never too late to give your pet increased vitality and energy by adding a liver support supplement and extra nutrition to their diet. Oxicell, for example, contains key antioxidants that support the liver in an easy to use topical cream (nutrients absorb through the skin). Many pet owners notice their pets have extra energy after just a few days. And, reducing animal fats (e.g. never give pets chicken skin or fat off meat for example), increasing Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish and flax seed oil and extra vegetables can all help to support your pet’s liver and longevity.
Click here for more information and products available at Ask Ariel |
Thank you for being an Ask Ariel client. We look forward to continuing to provide you with quality holistic pet care.
Sincerely,
--The Team at Ask Ariel | |
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