Cirrhosis of the liver
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Cirrhosis of the liver
"Baby" was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver in February of this year. How long her liver had been dorked up, we don't know. Why it was dorked up, we don't know. Was it infectious hep that never was found? Was she really partying with St. Bernards every time we left and hiding the bottles of Jack before we got home? Maybe it was all the anesthesia she had to endure for both of her knee surgeries that exacerbated the issue. No one knows for sure.
Now, I am making a whole different menu for her - veggies, soy, tofu, pasta, Ester-C, Vit. E, Milk Thistle, SAMe, lecitihin, bone meal, brewer's yeast and algae to name a few items in each and every bowl of nummyness. This is in conjunction with her prescription diet l/d "crunchies" that she eats at her own pace. She's always been on the nibbler plan.
We love our pets - and our family especially. Those of you who know her, know she's one of the sweetest doggy souls on the planet...why wouldn't I do my best to keep whatever part of her liver that's healthy, healthy?
UPDATE: Since she's been on a highly modified diet from what she previously ate, on the outside, it seems to be helping - she's actually putting some weight back on instead of that wasted frame under all that fur. Her poop has gone from a soft creepy orangy-yellow to a more healthier sturdier brown most of the time which usually means she's getting nutrients out of her food again. I'm hoping to take her back to the doc and do another blood test to see if it's working on the inside...
SECOND UPDATE: Since I had to go this Monday (7/22/08) and get more l/d prescription "crunchies" for Baby, I though it was time to drag her in again to get some follow-up blood tests. I told the vet what I had been doing to modify her diet along with the crunchies and he kind of looked at me a little funny. He also gave me the kind "sometimes we try to do too much" lecture as if to prepare me in case the numbers weren't positive.
I told him I understood, but it was worth a try. So, he took her in the back, weighed her, trimmed her toenails (I requested that too!) and took a blood sample. Since it didn't really matter, I told him that she had eaten today so it would be interesting to see what her numbers were. When he brought her back out to me, he said the she had indeed put on a few pounds, which boded well for the maintenance and turning around of the wasting effect and to give a call on Wednesday to get the results.
When he got on the phone Wednesday this is what he told me : "Her previous ALT levels were 675 for the fasting and 925 for the after eating. This time her number came back as 560. While that's not great, it's super for her considering the previous numbers. I suggest you continue doing what you're doing."
So, even though we most likely will never get her liver levels back down to a "normal/healthy" level, the fact that I have been able to get her numbers down almost 400 points after eating is vindication for me!
Now, I am making a whole different menu for her - veggies, soy, tofu, pasta, Ester-C, Vit. E, Milk Thistle, SAMe, lecitihin, bone meal, brewer's yeast and algae to name a few items in each and every bowl of nummyness. This is in conjunction with her prescription diet l/d "crunchies" that she eats at her own pace. She's always been on the nibbler plan.
We love our pets - and our family especially. Those of you who know her, know she's one of the sweetest doggy souls on the planet...why wouldn't I do my best to keep whatever part of her liver that's healthy, healthy?
UPDATE: Since she's been on a highly modified diet from what she previously ate, on the outside, it seems to be helping - she's actually putting some weight back on instead of that wasted frame under all that fur. Her poop has gone from a soft creepy orangy-yellow to a more healthier sturdier brown most of the time which usually means she's getting nutrients out of her food again. I'm hoping to take her back to the doc and do another blood test to see if it's working on the inside...
SECOND UPDATE: Since I had to go this Monday (7/22/08) and get more l/d prescription "crunchies" for Baby, I though it was time to drag her in again to get some follow-up blood tests. I told the vet what I had been doing to modify her diet along with the crunchies and he kind of looked at me a little funny. He also gave me the kind "sometimes we try to do too much" lecture as if to prepare me in case the numbers weren't positive.
I told him I understood, but it was worth a try. So, he took her in the back, weighed her, trimmed her toenails (I requested that too!) and took a blood sample. Since it didn't really matter, I told him that she had eaten today so it would be interesting to see what her numbers were. When he brought her back out to me, he said the she had indeed put on a few pounds, which boded well for the maintenance and turning around of the wasting effect and to give a call on Wednesday to get the results.
When he got on the phone Wednesday this is what he told me : "Her previous ALT levels were 675 for the fasting and 925 for the after eating. This time her number came back as 560. While that's not great, it's super for her considering the previous numbers. I suggest you continue doing what you're doing."
So, even though we most likely will never get her liver levels back down to a "normal/healthy" level, the fact that I have been able to get her numbers down almost 400 points after eating is vindication for me!
Re: Cirrhosis of the liver
Wow! I had no idea Chows could get cirrhosis...that's crazy. I sure hope it's not the Jack since that's my favorite.
Great job getting the numbers down!! Some people might think we're crazy for the lengths we go to in order to make our furkids' lives more healthy, but those of us on the forum understand completely. I say whatever you're doing is working so keep it going.
Great job getting the numbers down!! Some people might think we're crazy for the lengths we go to in order to make our furkids' lives more healthy, but those of us on the forum understand completely. I say whatever you're doing is working so keep it going.
Re: Cirrhosis of the liver
Wow I didn't know dogs could get that either! I am glad she is doing so much better!
My vet gives me the look sometimes like he's patting me on the head but they don't know everything!
Phyllis I knew I liked you...and Jack as well.
My vet gives me the look sometimes like he's patting me on the head but they don't know everything!
Phyllis I knew I liked you...and Jack as well.
Chloe (left) Shuggy (right)
Re: Cirrhosis of the liver
My guess would be pain meds causing liver damagemswhitney wrote:...Maybe it was all the anesthesia she had to endure for both of her knee surgeries that exacerbated the issue. No one knows for sure.... Her poop has gone from a soft creepy orangy-yellow to a more healthier sturdier brown most of the time...
Re: Cirrhosis of the liver
I'm so glad Baby is doing better! That is great news!
CoraP.
Remember this, and also be persuaded of its truth - the future is not in the hands of fate, but in ourselves.
Jules Jusserand
Remember this, and also be persuaded of its truth - the future is not in the hands of fate, but in ourselves.
Jules Jusserand
Re: Cirrhosis of the liver
Thanks all for your responses!
Like I said...if it were the Jack she's really good at hiding those bottles. If it was infectious hepatitis (which can usually be cured in dogs with antibiotics) then who KNOWS when she could have picked it up or from where, since it's highly communicable and doesn't show many signs when infected. Overall, I'm sure the anesthesia had a lot to do with it. Two major surgeries in as many years is not necessarily a good thing - although they now have anesthesia's that are a bit less destructive to the organs.
Like I said...if it were the Jack she's really good at hiding those bottles. If it was infectious hepatitis (which can usually be cured in dogs with antibiotics) then who KNOWS when she could have picked it up or from where, since it's highly communicable and doesn't show many signs when infected. Overall, I'm sure the anesthesia had a lot to do with it. Two major surgeries in as many years is not necessarily a good thing - although they now have anesthesia's that are a bit less destructive to the organs.
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willowchow
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Re: Cirrhosis of the liver
That's great news! I've read a lot of really good things about milk thistle. I'm waiting until Willow is a little more stable and then I'd like to try her on it too.
Re: Cirrhosis of the liver
Update: 3/19/2010
Well, Baby has taken a turn for the worse. She had a random seizure 2 months ago on the lawn while going potty. Not a flopping one, but a collapsing one that made us completely freak out. After doing some research, it looks as if she had a seizure because of what is called Hepatic Encephalopathy.
WE made the mistake of letting the e-vet put her on Prednisone instead of Prednisolone (the liver has to turn Prednisone into Prednisolone, but can't do that with liver disease), which did all the bad things to her that it does to people. Even the step down dose withdrawal after a month of use was horrible and we weren't sure she would survive that initial adrenal shock, although dogs can tolerate it more than humans can.
She has lost all her muscle mass, also has a tumor (which we think is thyroid cancer) on her neck, that we can't treat due to her liver issues, and walks like a drunk half the time.
Yesterday, she stopped eating anything. For a few days, we had been having to try new foods every meal as none if it tasted good to her a 2nd time around. Similar in people with kidney & liver failure...foods just don't taste right & it's a guessing game. Now, she only licked up a little raw egg yolk with honey (which is a complete food & protein combo unto itself), which made us feel better. Since the seizure, her appetite had been severely diminished anyway, and feel it's probably due to her system just being toxic overall.
We have added some Pedialyte to her water, along with her antibiotics, since she also developed a UTI in this process. I know it's only a matter of time, but my husband is not ready to let go and keeps hoping to "get her back a little bit" to where she was before.
UPDATE: 3/20/10
Today, at 12noon PST, Baby crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. She will be missed very much.
Well, Baby has taken a turn for the worse. She had a random seizure 2 months ago on the lawn while going potty. Not a flopping one, but a collapsing one that made us completely freak out. After doing some research, it looks as if she had a seizure because of what is called Hepatic Encephalopathy.
WE made the mistake of letting the e-vet put her on Prednisone instead of Prednisolone (the liver has to turn Prednisone into Prednisolone, but can't do that with liver disease), which did all the bad things to her that it does to people. Even the step down dose withdrawal after a month of use was horrible and we weren't sure she would survive that initial adrenal shock, although dogs can tolerate it more than humans can.
She has lost all her muscle mass, also has a tumor (which we think is thyroid cancer) on her neck, that we can't treat due to her liver issues, and walks like a drunk half the time.
Yesterday, she stopped eating anything. For a few days, we had been having to try new foods every meal as none if it tasted good to her a 2nd time around. Similar in people with kidney & liver failure...foods just don't taste right & it's a guessing game. Now, she only licked up a little raw egg yolk with honey (which is a complete food & protein combo unto itself), which made us feel better. Since the seizure, her appetite had been severely diminished anyway, and feel it's probably due to her system just being toxic overall.
We have added some Pedialyte to her water, along with her antibiotics, since she also developed a UTI in this process. I know it's only a matter of time, but my husband is not ready to let go and keeps hoping to "get her back a little bit" to where she was before.
UPDATE: 3/20/10
Today, at 12noon PST, Baby crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. She will be missed very much.