Identifying liver disease is quite difficult. The fact is that at their early stage, the dog feels great. And there are no symptoms. When symptoms appear, an accurate diagnosis is necessary. And this is a loss of valuable time for analysis. The article talks about liver diseases in dogs, their symptoms and their treatment.
Types of diseases
The liver cleanses the body of toxins of both endogenous and exogenous nature. It is easy to imagine how difficult this body is. And when the body is intoxicated, it is the liver that suffers first.
There are two types of liver diseases in dogs:
- Primary. The animal gets the disease due to mechanical or toxic effects on the liver.
- Secondary They provoke diseases of other organs of the gastrointestinal tract. Most often, pancreatic diseases affect the liver very strongly.
Primary primary disease
If we talk about liver diseases, then most often in veterinary clinics they diagnose infectious hepatitis. The dog "picks up" the disease, thanks to strains of adenoviruses. This is one of the most serious liver diseases in dogs. It does not spare puppies, adult animals, or elderly dogs. But, to a greater extent, it affects young animals aged 2-6 months.
A pet may become infected by contact with a sick dog. The carriers of the disease are both wild and domestic dogs. The infection "lives" in the feces, urine, and eye discharge.
But not only a sick dog is a carrier of the virus. If a pet ate infected meat, or drank such water, then the disease is provided for him.
Causes of Secondary Diseases
The cause of secondary liver diseases in dogs are:
- Gastrointestinal diseases (pancreatic pancreatitis, for example).
- Pathology of blood vessels.
- Heart failure.
- Mechanical injuries of the abdomen.
- Reception of hormones.
- Intoxication of the body.
Pathology of diseases
When classifying liver diseases in dogs, several factors are considered. There are, according to them, two types of pathologies:
- Hepatobiliary system. This includes the gallbladder and excretory ducts.
- The internal tissue of the liver. These are acute and chronic cirrhosis, hepatitis, fibrosis, lipidosis.
Forms of the course of diseases
Liver diseases in dogs can occur in acute, subacute and chronic forms. In addition, inflammatory and non-inflammatory courses are distinguished. Diseases have similar symptoms. They are difficult to distinguish based solely on history. Therefore, additional studies will be required to establish a diagnosis.
Symptomatology
Why is liver disease difficult to detect, even with the right symptoms? The fact is that their course is rather blurry. But there are those that will help give a more accurate, visual assessment of the disease.
Symptoms of liver disease in dogs are as follows:
- The animal is rapidly losing weight. In this case, the dog has no appetite.
- Pet is constantly vomiting.
- He has a violation of the intestines. The dog suffers from diarrhea.
- An important sign that you need to pay attention to is the unhealthy yellowness of the tongue, skin and eye proteins.
- The main sign of liver disease in dogs is a discoloration of feces and urine. The stool becomes gray, their shape resembles plasticine. Urine acquires a persistent orange or brick color.
- The animal has a constant urge to urinate.
- A dog's blood coagulation is impaired.
- Fluid begins to accumulate in the abdominal cavity.
- The pet goes blind.
- Impaired motor coordination and shortness of breath.
- Very often, a sick dog behavior deteriorates.
- Sometimes cramps occur.
If there is an inflammatory process, then the dog rises in temperature. Causeless trembling is quite possible.
In the case when pathogenic fungi are to blame for the disease, the animal has problems with the coat and skin. The hair falls out, bald spots form on the dog's body. And changes are visible on the skin. In some cases, bruises may appear.
What is the danger of liver disease in dogs? According to the listed signs, they are very difficult to identify. And if brought to a serious stage, then the dog can simply die. That is why, having noticed some changes in the health and behavior of the pet, you must immediately go to the veterinarian.
Small breeds
There are liver diseases in small dog breeds to which they are prone. Such diseases primarily include an abnormality of the liver vessels. Normally, blood from the portal vein of the liver should flow into the organ itself. With an abnormality of the liver vessels, it turns out that it enters the systemic circulation, but does not "enter" the liver.
This leads to disruption of the metabolic process. And harmful substances begin to flow into the blood, which the liver has not "neutralized". As a result, the dog may be affected by toxins in the brain. And this will lead to death.
Large breeds and diseases
Owners of breeds such as Doberman and Dalmatian should not relax. Their pets are prone to increased accumulation of copper to the liver. As a result, this redundancy leads to unpleasant diseases.
Diagnosis of diseases
Before talking about the treatment of diseases of the liver of a dog, we will talk about what the pet and the owner will have in the veterinary clinic.
Experts combine time-tested diagnostic methods with modern research devices:
- It all starts with feeling the area of the liver. And if the dog behaves uneasily, whines, does not allow to touch this zone, then this is a sure sign of problems with the body.
- Ultrasound Ultrasound is prescribed.
- X-ray
- Endoscopy
- The study of blood vessels.
- Liver tissue is taken for biopsy.
- Urine and blood are taken from the animal for testing.
- Be sure to examine feces.
Additionally, serological tests, abdominal fluid analysis, laparotomy can be prescribed.
Treatment
First of all, treatment methods are aimed at:
- Elimination of the cause of the disease. It can be a virus, fungus, bacteria.
- Blocking with the subsequent cessation of the intake of toxic substances.
- Elimination of the symptoms of the disease.
- Elimination of pathologies.
For this, several methods of treating diseases are used:
- Surgical intervention. For example, with abnormalities of the vessels of the liver.
- Drug treatment.
- Diet therapy. We will talk about this below.
Drug treatment
If a dog shows symptoms of liver disease, treatment should be started as soon as possible.
So, in order to defeat acute liver failure, animals are prescribed antibiotics. Attention, their names are given here for familiarization, and so that the owner can approximately know how much he should count on when buying medicines. In no case should you treat a dog without the recommendation of veterinarians. So, most often, pets are prescribed:
- Sinulox.
- "Clavulanate."
- "Kiprovet."
These drugs can eliminate the viruses and bacteria that caused the disease.
If an infectious hepatitis is found in a dog, then, most likely, they will write out:
- "Metronidazole".
- "Keyboard."
With hepatic encephalopathy, Brovaseptol is prescribed.
Diet therapy
Is there a diet for dogs with liver disease? Yes, and it is mandatory. The goal of dietary nutrition is to help the liver in the final disposal of toxins, cleanse it of toxins, and support for the duration of recovery. With proper treatment and nutrition, the organ is restored in 10-15 days.
We make up the menu
Dog nutrition for liver disease should be sparing. Dry food is prohibited! Even the best and most expensive. How to feed a dog with liver disease, if he is used to "drying"? Have to change his diet for a couple of weeks:
- The first day is hungry. The dog is useful daily abstinence from food. But you can and should drink your favorite broth of chamomile, string, St. John's wort. If refuses to drink, inject into the mouth with a syringe without a needle. The broth should be at room temperature.
- On the second day we try to give a very thin porridge. Or oatmeal, or rice. We cook porridge on water, do not salt, do not add spices. Cool to room temperature and offer the pet.
- The third day - again porridge. Only thicker. Not to the extent that the spoon stood, but a little thicker than it was before.
- On the fourth day, add mashed meat to the porridge. Boil beef properly and pass through a blender. Mix with porridge, give the dog.
- On the fifth day, you can try to give mashed chicken meat. In combination with porridge, of course.
- On the sixth day, non-acidic and low-fat dairy products are introduced - kefir and cottage cheese. Give them to the dog very carefully. Just a little bit. And carefully monitor the pet's reaction to these products. If a pet starts vomiting or diarrhea, we no longer experiment with dairy products.
- On the seventh day, we introduce vegetables into the pet’s diet. Mashed boiled carrots, zucchini and potatoes. You can chop them in a blender, or crank them in a meat grinder. Combine with porridge and give the dog.
From the second week, if the animal feels well, and there are no reactions to food, it is possible to gradually increase portions.
What the owner should know when making a menu for a sick dog:
- Feeding is carried out several times a day. In small portions. Ideally, feed your pet 5-6 times, every three hours.
- Food should be warm. Giving too hot food or directly from the refrigerator is unacceptable.
- If the dog is accustomed to pieces from the table, from now on you will have to forget about such a treat. A dog suffering from a diseased liver can not be anything fatty, fried, salty, smoked and spicy. Her diet for the rest of her life should be dietary.
- Porridge is boiled only on water. And they don’t salt water. You can’t add any oils to cereals.
- No raw meat during the diet period. Only well boiled, without salt. The meat is separated from the bones and cooled.
- Vegetables are introduced into the diet of the animal gently. Boil them well, grind.
Preventative measures
How to protect your pet from illness? There are some preventive measures that need to be known and followed:
- Even the most common liver diseases in dogs can be ruled out if the animal is properly fed. Products must be of high quality.
- Be sure to deworm the dog. At least once every six months. Ideally, once every three months. This measure allows you to destroy parasites living in the intestines of a pet.
- Timely vaccinations help to forget about many diseases.
- Make sure that the animal does not have access to toxic substances. For example, if you poison rats, then keep the poison away.
- The dog should not have access to pills. This must be very strictly monitored.
- If the dog is prone to liver disease, a routine veterinary examination should be performed annually. It includes ultrasound of the abdominal cavity and blood donation for analysis.
What to do if a dog has caught a particular liver disease? The owner will have to forget about buying dry food for your pet. This is first and foremost. If you prefer ready-made feeds, then stop at wet medicinal. And pay attention to the brands of super premium class.
Physical activity should be reduced. Alas, serious sport with a pet will have to be abandoned. Exhausting physical activity is contraindicated in dogs with a diseased liver. But being outdoors is good for them. Walk more often and longer with your pet.
Watch your dog closely. As soon as you notice non-standard changes in it, do not hesitate to contact the veterinary clinic. Remember that liver disease is very difficult and expensive to treat. It is better to take the necessary measures by contacting a specialist on time than to spend a lot of money on drugs later on and still not be sure that this will help the dog.
Conclusion
We talked about what liver diseases are. They talked about their types, groups and pathologies, what preventive measures must be taken so that the disease does not touch the pet. And what if the prevention is too late, and the dog managed to get sick.
When dogs get sick, the owners are ready to do anything to help their pet. I would very much like that, due to a lack of knowledge or their own laziness, the owners did not bring their pets to serious health problems.
An animal cannot always be saved after it receives a particular disease. Especially when it comes to the liver. Although this organ is being restored, its treatment is very complex.