Help! Advice pls re: liver problem For the past month, my always healthy yorkie (5yrs old) started to become a bit sick. The only systems, though, have been occasional diarrhea and constantly licking his lips. He has never had diarrhea before an the "lip licking fits" we're also new, so I took him to the vet a month ago. He was put on antibiotics for a suspected infection and a new food. Now, a month later, things haven't changed...although the diarrhea has almost gone. The licking lips still remains and worried me a bit, so the vet drew some blood. The results show that his liver isn't functioning properly. I wasn't really given any further details as they said they need to do a protein c test first. I guess what I'm wondering is....is there anything else I should be requesting? They changed his food to Hills w/d. Does that should right? He is also on flagyl and lactulose now. Also, is it normal for liver problems to show such little symptoms? Besides the licking fits and odd bout of diarrhea, he is his normal, puppy-like self. Can something so serious be lurking without any deterioration? |
Yes, if the liver problem is not severe then it's possible the symtoms could be fairly mild. My Lucy has mild liver issues (small internal shunting) that we manage with a low protein diet. She did not require surgery due to the nature of her problem. Did your vet do Bile Acid Testing or BATS? That's usually the first step if the liver enzymes are found to be elevated. Lucy has had 3 sets of those. Because her numbers were not that high (but higher than normal) - conservative management was recommended. I'd ask about the BAT testing if not already done. Keep us posted! |
Thanks so much - please excuse my typos (courtesy of iPad auto-correct). He did have the BAT done and that is what showed improper liver function. I am going to get a copy of the actual numbers tomorrow so I can find out exactly where he stands. |
My dog was over 6 years old when we learned she had liver issues. She's almost 12 and managed exclusively on a home cooked low protein diet. We had initially put her on the Hill's L/D canned and she did well on that for years but due to other problems (allergies, food intolerances) we had to go to home cooked. Her BATs were very elevated and they came down with diet to near normal readings. The Protein C test is used to confirm Microvascular dysplasia (internal liver shunting at the microscopic level). Here is more info on the protein C test Animal Health Diagnostic Center |
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