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Liver Disease in Dogs

Liver disease in dogs, especially chronic liver inflammation, is unfortunately rather prevalent. Chronic liver inflammation is often called chronic-active hepatitis. It is a chronic disease but the dogs tend to suffer repeated flare-ups that resemble acute liver disease.

Liver Disease in Dogs

The liver is a large organ and is one of the most important organs that plays a significant role in a number of different physiological processes.

Do you know that the liver performs over 500 different tasks? Talk about multi-tasking! For example, the liver is where impurities in blood (e.g. drugs, chemical additives in foods) are filtered and detoxified.

It also processes food; stores glycogen (sugar source for your dog), blood, vitamins, and iron; synthesizes proteins; and manufactures bile for fat digestion.

As the liver performs so many diverse functions, any liver disease in dogs can have a huge negative impact on their overall health.

Symptoms of Liver Disease in Dogs

The symptoms of canine liver disease are as diverse as the functions of the liver - and in the early stages, the symptoms are rather subtle.

Some classical symptoms include:

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Possible Causes of Liver Disease in Dogs

Canine liver disease can have a gamut of causes, including:

  • Toxins such as pesticides and flea control chemicals can cause direct liver damage to a dog
  • Medications that are used to treat other medical conditions in dogs, including corticosteroids, worming medications, and epilepsy medications, can also cause liver inflammation in dogs
  • Various viral or bacterial infections
  • Heatstroke
  • Physical injuries (e.g. a blow by a car)
  • Congenital disease (e.g. liver shunt)
  • Other physical problems, such as anemia, heartworm and heart disease, pancreatitis, and cancer

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Diagnosis of Liver Disease in Dogs

As can be seen above, many of the symptoms of liver disease are similar to those of other diseases. Therefore, in order to make a diagnosis of liver disease, a number of diagnostic procedures will have to be carried out. Common diagnostic methods involve:

  • Blood tests to check on a number of different aspects of a dog's blood, including red and white blood cell levels as well as the levels of certain enzymes. For example, the enzymes alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) often appear in elevated amounts in a dog suffering from liver disease.
  • Bile acid test
  • Urinalysis
  • Radiology and ultrasound

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Treatment for Canine Liver Disease

Dog Liver Disease

Obviously, treatment for canine liver disease depends on the cause of the condition. For example, if injury as a result of physical trauma was the cause, hospitalization while the dog recovers from the impact of the trauma may be all that is required. When, on the other hand, the liver disease is caused by another medical condition such as cancer or anemia, these additional underlying medical conditions will need to be dealt with as well.

In any case, a dog with liver disease should be under professional veterinary care. However, for many chronic liver diseases, conventional medicine seems to have little effect. Herbs and homeopathy, on the other hand, are effective in treating liver disease in dogs. If your dog has been diagnosed with liver disease, therefore, consult with a holistic veterinarian and try to work out a holistic treatment program for your dog.

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Natural Remedies for Liver Disease in Dogs

Herbs and homeopathic remedies can be used to treat canine liver disease. For more information on this topic, please visit our page on Natural Remedies for Dog Liver Health.



Related Topics

Natural Remedies for Dog Liver Health
Liver Shunt in Dogs
Liver Cancer in Dogs

References

D. Hamilton, Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs (North Atlantic Books, 1999).
R. Kidd, Dr. Kidd's Guide to Herbal Dog Care (Storey Publishing, 2000).
Pitcairn and Pitcairn, Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats (Rodale, 2005).

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