Treatment of dog liver disease depends on the cause of the damage and extent of the disease. In some cases, medication might not even be useful except to treat some of the symptoms such as dehydration and vomiting.
Liver Disease Symptoms
Liver disease is one of the top causes of non-accidental dog death, largely because of the importance of the liver's function. The liver is responsible for blood detoxification, removal of waste and digestive system aid.
Symptoms of liver disease include weight loss, lethargy, changes in pattern of urination, orange urine, jaundice, vomiting or pain in the abdomen, loss of appetite and pale gums.
Dietary Changes
Since the liver is one of the few organs that can regenerate itself, treatment can be successful if caught in time. In addition to medication, dietary changes can help improve your dog's functions.
Dogs with liver disease should be fed a high-quality diet with no cheap fillers, such as wheat, corn and meat byproducts, preservatives or additional additives such as food coloring. They should also be fed a diet free of copper, which can be very damaging to the liver when it's not functioning properly.
Adding vitamin K can help reduce blood disorders associated with liver disease, and a water-soluble form of vitamin E is an antioxidant.
A newer treatment for liver disease is S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), which is produced naturally in a healthy liver and is necessary for many of the functions of liver cells. It is available as a dietary supplement at health food stores and may benefit your dog.
It's also important to make sure your dog is properly hydrated, so hydrate him with a syringe if necessary or visit your veterinarian for IV fluids if you pull the skin around your dogs neck and it doesn't bounce back promptly. Adding a little Pedialyte to your dog's water can help restores electrolytes.
Medication for Liver Disease
Because the liver breaks down most of the medication in the body to make it more useful, medication is not always helpful in case of liver disease. It should be given at low dose and is often given to treat secondary symptoms rather than the disease itself.
Corticosteroids are commonly given to dogs with liver disease to reduce inflammation and scarring. They also help your dog feel better by stimulating the appetite and energy. However, high levels of corticosteroids are known to cause liver disease so give the exact dosage prescribed by your veterinarian.
Antibiotics are often used to treat secondary infections, and diuretics can be used to treat a secondary symptom called ascites, which can cause difficulty breathing.
If your dog is experiencing vomiting, nausea or stomach ulcers, he may be prescribed a medication to reduce these symptoms such as sucralfate and cimetidine.
If your dog is storing too much copper in the liver, which can be prevented with a high-quality non-copper diet, that can be treated with penicillamine and zinc acetate.
Treatment of liver disease often depends on the cause of the disease and which symptoms your dog exhibits. Medication can play an important role, but mainly in treating the secondary symptoms. Fortunately, with medication and diet changes, liver disease can often be successfully managed.