[Yorkieluv]

Thanks for the update...I've been thinking of little Mattie...She is absolutely adorable!!!

Did the vet tell you the importance of the lactulose? If her stumbling is being caused by liver problems, the lactulose is absolutely at leaimperative. The daily dosage should be split up into at least 3 doses per day. So, if 9cc were prescribed, then 3 cc should be given 3x/day. The goal with the lactulose is to get your baby to have at least 2 *soft* bowel movements per day. Stools should not be firm, but not diarrhea. If this is not being achieved, the lactulose should be increased or decreased to get these results.
Lactulose is very safe and the only side effect is diarrhea...If your baby is not having these 2 soft stools per day, you will see more symptoms.

Protein turns to ammonia in the body and the liver is supposed to filter the ammonia, but when there is a liver problem, the liver is not able to filter the ammonia and the ammonia enters the blood system. This is the equivalent of having a poison/toxin circulating through their system. This is what causes the inappetance, neurological symptoms, disorientation, inability to walk correctly, etc.

The lactulose literally binds the toxins and pulls them from the bloodstream into the colon so that it can be eliminated from the body.

Also important to keep in mind...The smaller and more frequent the meals, the better off she will be. Even if you can only give her a tsp at a time, it's best to give 4-6 meals per day because it lightens the load on the liver. Too much food at one time will cause an overload in protein, make her feel sick, and make her refuse food at the next meal time. That's why smaller, more frequent meals are recommended for dogs with such symptoms like your baby has.