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Originally Posted by Ellie May  I agree with you KJC in that all drugs can potentially cause enzyme number changes and/or damage to the liver and/or kidneys because drugs are metabolized to the greatest extent by these organs.
But I've seen nothing that would indicate that vaccines do this to a greater extent. It would also have to be rare because otherwise every vaccinated dog would be walking around with high liver enzymes. There is also nothing indicating that lepto is the worst on the liver or that it increases liver enzymes more than the rest. I guess that goes along with remembering that all drugs have the potential to do strange things to the body and a veterinarian should assess whether or not there is enough benefit before using them. In hte case of most vaccines and for most dogs, it is worth it.
The two to three fold thing is interesting. I'm not so sure that toxins almost always make liver enzymes skyrocket though. This is something I will have a talk with E's vet about when I get a chance because I'm sure she has treated things like this many times. |
The OP wanted to know if prednisone was ever prescribed for Liver disease. Her dog has a Liver Shunt. I said no, I've never seen pred prescribed for Liver shunt. Then I questioned why her vet wanted to treat her LS dog with pred. I have seen pred given most often to lessen bad reactions to vaccines, and I said "such as Lepto" only bc her dog had received the Lepto vaccine for the previous 2 years, in a combo vac, DHL.
My vet said that LS dogs should not be vaccinated, as vaccines can cause liver and/or Kidney damage in dogs with LS.
The OP then stated the pred was to lower the liver enzymes ALT/AST. So I pointed out that LS dogs have been reported as having a twofold to threefold result above normal levels for these enzymes, resulting from the LS, and that values over those numbers may be resulting from a toxin, which the vaccines could be hepatotoxic in this dog, because it has LS.
And concerning the Lepto vac, in general, I found that a 4way Lepto had been developed in 2004, for dogs at risk (hunting dogs and such). I couldn't find that any safer alternative had been used prior to 2009 in combo vacs. I do remember reading about quite a few dogs having reactions to the Lepto vaccine on YT alone, as that was the year I joined YT, and I do believe that they were given the Lepto in a combo vac, but I am not sure.
As for if vaccines raise liver enzymes in all dogs, that would be hard to say, because first the dog gets a clean bill of health from the vet before they give the vaccines (sick dogs should not be vaccinated). All mine come home and lay around for a day or two after getting vaccines... I do wonder what is going on inside them. But who gets bloodwork done 1-2 days after being told their pups are healthy? So I doubt there would be much data on this.
(If you read back in this thread, concerning anything I said, only read my actual posts, bc I have been misquoted so many times it's not funny.)