Your dog's liver is a critical organ within his or her body and performs at least 500 different jobs. The liver helps by removing waste from the blood, stores and disperses nutrients, regulates temperature and body circulation, works to help with metabolism, digestion and detoxifies drugs and toxins within the body. Without a properly functioning liver the body will begin to shut down and stop working the way that it should.
Unfortunately there are many types of medically related problems that can cause liver disease in our dogs, such as a viral infection that caused the liver to become inflamed, deterioration of liver cells or tissues, chronic hepatitis, cancer and several more. Additionally there are many specific breeds of dogs that are more prone to develop liver disease such as the, Australian Cattle dog, Bernese Mountain dog, Boxer, Cairn Terrier, Chihuahua, Doberman Pinscher, Golden Retriever, Irish Wolfhound, Keeshond, Labrador Retriever, Maltese, Pomeranian, Pug, Saint Bernard, Samoyed, Sheepdog, Shih Tzu, Toy Poodle and Yorkshire Terrier.
Many pet owners whose dog suffers from liver disease do not have success with traditional medical therapy and fear that there are no other options for treatment. However, it has been proven that with the help of a great holistic veterinarian, even extremely damaged livers can be restored to health.
Depending on the exact cause and condition of the liver disease, a holistic therapy to treat the problem might include Milk Thistle and Alpha Lipoic Acid, both of which are nutrients that can help to restore a damaged liver. The milk thistle contains properties that stimulate new cell production and protect liver cells from damage. The alpha lipoic acid promotes antioxidants and helps with detoxification.
Our readers offer information and opinions on Earth Clinic, not as a substitute for professional medical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your physician, pharmacist, or health care provider before taking any home remedies or supplements or following any treatment suggested by anyone on this site. Only your health care provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs or diagnose your particular medical history.
Apple Cider Vinegar
[QUESTION] 05/24/2009: bb122467 from Orpington Kent, United Kingdom: "I have a 4 year old maltese who has a liver problem. I am searching for a remedy that could help him improve his liver condition. I've read from your site about ACV. Has anyone tried ACV to cure liver problem in dogs. Please help me my maltese means so much to me."Replies
04/06/2012: Sumana from Moscow, Russia replies: "I have yorkshire terrier which is suffering from bad liver condition he also vomit sometimes which contain little amount of blood but not often, but he is very active. Now according to doctor, recommends I am giving him royal canine hepatic food. But he don't like it. So I want to know, is there any other homemade which I can give him and if there is any medicine yes which can protect his liver?"
08/04/2012: Yorkie Mom from Anaheim, Ca replies: "Feeding them 4 smaller meals daily instead of 2 big ones helps lighten the load on their liver. If you can find a holistic vet, use them instead. They are so much more knowledgeable and can restore your pet's health. Feed a high quality diet - we use a Liver Cleansing Diet - you can find it online. We give our Yorkie the following supplements daily - milk thistle, SamE, vitamin E, Denamarin or Denosyl. You can also find liquid extracts made for pets online that have a number of herbs and natural remedies for the liver. These work and should be given daily. No beef or red meat. Eggs and cottage cheese are easier for them to digest. Cod or white fish is excellent. Cooked white meat chicken is also good but some liver dogs can't tolerate it. You want to reduce their protein until the liver is healed. The diet we've been feeding is about 23% protein, with the rest being cooked oatmeal (type that takes 5 mins to cook) and a veggie that is good for the liver (spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, parsley, cucumber, kale, carrots, squash and some beets - not to much of this as it can cause diarrhea). Read about their liver on www.dogaware.com. If the liver isn't too badly damaged, it can heal in about 2-3 months on this protocol. NO toxic chemicals like flea products - this will only further damage their liver. Filtered water or spring water only and be sure they get plenty daily. Add to their food to help get more into them."
12/05/2008: Deirdre from Newport, RI: "i have a four month old bernese mountain dog that won't eat a thing! we've even tried getting him to drink Ensure shakes, just to get some nourishment into him. the vet thinks it may be his liver; either and infection, malformation, shunt, etc. we just got him 2 weeks ago, and we've already spent twice what we paid for him in medical bills. My boyfriend and I are emotionally and financially exhausted, and desperate for help. Please, anyone... what do we do?"Replies
[YEA] 12/06/2008: Jean from Cerritos, CA replies: "Our4 pound Yorkie after surgery wouldn't eat for days and the vet said we couldn't bring her home until she would eat. Our dear friend and Chiropractor told us to take to the vet equal amounts of ACV and water and give to her as he felt she might have streph throat. It worked right away and she ate all of the food I had in my hand and wanted more. Our vet said you never heard of streph stomach as it has the stomach acid in it. Hope this helps. Blessings. Jean"
12/08/2008: Deirdre from Newport, RI replies: "Jean from Cerritos - thank you so much for your prompt response, but i'm not sure i'm following you. did your dog have strep throat, or strep stomach? the vets think our pup may have a liver shunt. would apple cider vinegar help, and why? how much should i give him? we've been giving him antibiotics, supplements and appetite stimulants to no avail. he starts to take an interest in food; he comes, smells it, licks and then backs off, as if he's afraid of the food. i recently gotten him to eat baby food rice cereal. we're just worried because the next step is to see a specialist. they will perform another ultrasound and biopsy to hopefully determine once and for all what is wrong with him. if it does turn out to be a shunt, he's expected to be put on a special diet and medication. i'm interested in the ACV and any other homeopathic remedies that may help. thanks!"
12/09/2008: June from Wichita, KS replies: "to Deirdre: what brand of food are you feeding your dog? It might be one of the ingredients in the food that's turning him off. I would try either switching to another high grade food brand or giving him human food like boiled chicken and rice for a few days. If he eats the human food, then very possible it's something in the kibble that he doesn't like.
I had a dog who hardly ever ate as well... a malamute. I had to coax him every meal. He was a really finicky eater - the worst ever! I ended up doing Pat McKay's diet (reigning cats and dogs book). He wouldn't eat the raw stuff, but if I cooked it slightly he would eat it. I spent years working on this issue and my friends would laugh at me when they saw me putting food on a spoon to feed him. The thing is that he wouldn't eat and then he would throw up stomach acid all over the carpet. He lived to be 14 by the way.
Hopefully it's not a liver issue but a food one. Let us know how it goes."
12/09/2008: James Sesame from State College, PA replies: "this dog's gut functions/flora is destroyed by antibiotics. Use good therapeutic clay (Aztec Secret & others) or frest earth 1T in bowl of water & let dog drink daily until bowel flora is restored, then he/she will be well. Find good earth or clay or both for your dog. Either will kill unfriendly antibiotic resistant organisms (AROs, my term, like MRSA, PRSA, and many more to come) It will restore gut flora & that will do the rest.
All diseases originate in the gut. Hippocrates (460-370bc)
"The primary seat of insanity generally is in the region of the stomach & intestines." French psychiatrist & father of modern psychiatry, Phillipe Pinel (1745-1828)
And I would add, the gut is the primary seat of all acute & chronic physical diseases, including the so-called 'genetic' & those mysterious diseases like Autism that "always existed but are only now being diagnosed as such!" as the "experts" are now claiming (hogwash). Bowel flora is 85% of our brain & our immune system. When healthy it protects us against everything except industrial transfats (natural transfats, as in real butter, are healthy) Our bodies have no way to detect or protect against artificially hardened vegetable fats, transfats. Lard & coconut oil in the markets are now being hydrogenated, the Big Names do this. Big Food, Big Drug & Big Money - Big Gov. are not your best friends. Industrial Fake Fats become part of our structure, as in cell walls & inner structures, & these then malfunction, as in receptor sites & transmitter sites, & organelles. Trans fats started with margarine & Crisco, & are the biggest food nightmare & disease epidemic & plague ever to visit the human race. Then come antibiotics & birthcontrol pills & other drugs, which destroy gut flora, or allow gut flora destruction to proceed unchecked, while chasing symptoms around using natural or allopathic methods."
12/09/2008: Jean from Cerritos, CA replies: "Jean again. I'm sorry I didn't make myself very clear. Our Yorkie had surgery and afterwards wouldn't eat and the Vet would not let me bring her home until she ate. Our Chiropractor told me that sometimes that condition is due to streph throat. He said you never hear people having streph condition in their stomach as the stomach acid takes care of that.
He had me take equal amounts of AVC and water, give it to her from a syringe and immediately she ate everything I had and wanted more food.
Your condition might be far more serious than ours.
Last week another health issue and a large vet bill. Drainage from an ear infection irritated her throat to the point where she scratched it almost raw. ACV took care of that. I hope you find a solution from your questions as you seemed to get good advice. Blessings, Jean"
12/12/2008: Earth Clinic replies: "An interesting post re MSM for dogs arrived today that might be helpful:
05/16/2013: Sarah from La, Ca replies: "Have you tried nutrical? You can get at Petco- out dog will lick this up even when ill- & it's high nutrient and high calorie. Have you treated for worms? Try diatomaceous earth- mixed in food or liquid if dog won't eat. Also have ur get checked for liver shunt."
Apple Cider Vinegar, Coconut Oil
03/03/2013: Linda from Tampa, Florida: "Does anyone know how much Apple Cider Vinegar and coconut oil I would give my 8 lb 5oz chihuahua that has elevated liver enzymes and beginning of formation of struvite crystals? She has had hepatitis before and was on flagyl antibiotics."
Chlorophyll, Milk Thistle
[YEA] 12/11/2008: Melisa from Jacksonville , FL: "Our little Molly, a four pound, 11 month Maltese, Yorkie (Morkie) is allergic to ants. We found out after she had a severe allergic reaction and we almost lost her at 6 months. The vets said her liver panels were extremely elevated and that she would have to stay on medicine for the rest of her life, I refused to accept that and began putting Chlorophyll (liquid) in her water, and giving her liquid Milk Thistle. Two months later her panels were all normal! No more meds!!! Chlorophyll is a natural blood purifier and can be given for life, there really is no "dosage" just add it to your pets water, it will make it green and give it a minty flavor. Milk Thistle in the liquid the "dosage" is for a 150 pound person, just adjust accordingly."
Liver Shunt Remedies
05/16/2013: Sarah from La, Ca: "Hi- I just wanted to include a post in this forum to make people aware of liver shunts. We have a 5 lb chihuahua, that we've had in the ER 3 times in the 2.5 yrs we've had her. I FINALLY FINALLY figured out what's wrong: she has a liver shunt. Here we're her symptoms. At the time a was desperate for info but had a hard time coming up w a diagnosis, and now it seems so obvious. Loni started acting really strange- she seemed disoriented, couldn't walk, list depth perception, seemed blind... Honestly she looked like she was on drugs. She syarted having mild seizures (eyes rolling back, floating, etc) She spent 3 days in vet ER, thy deduced that she ate some kind of toxin (like a dropped pill or something). This happened several more times over the next year. We finally realized it happened after we fed her meet. Now I know that it is a liver shunt. If your dog is exhibiting weird symptoms- look up "Liver Shunt" online. And treat it- once we figured it out our vet acted like it was no big deal and didn't give any instruction- just said if got worse to have surgery. Loni has continued to have mild symptoms for the past year. Now we know what todo and will start her on diet and supp protocol. Also Google "Ginger the Yorkie w liver shunt on YouTube)... This is the best example of a dog with liver problems and a liver shunt. I wish my vet had seen it :-/"
[NAY] 04/09/2009: CARA from PHARR, TEXAS, USA: "I NEED HELP, MY 3YR OLD BOXER HAS LIVER TROUBLE. I HAVE BEEN USING MILK THISLE AND IT IS NOT WORKING. MY VET HAS HER ON MEDS ALSO. ANYONE ONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR ME. I LUV MY DOG SO MUCH AND CAN'T BEAR THE THOUGHT OF LOOSING HER."
[YEA] 10/06/2008: Ashley from Palm Desert, CA: "I have a 3 lb yorkie that was diagnosed with LIVER DISEASE. He is 7 years old and has always been healthy up until the past year. In the past year, he has has had chronic bouts of diarrhea and vomiting. His digestive system was so irritated that the walls of the g.i. tract had tripled in size with scar tissue. We had countless visits to the vet and tried various medicines and diets. Nothing seemed to work. The veterinarian said our options were to have part of his liver removed or to have him put down. After reading the posts on liver disease and milk thistle I decided to try it. I quit using all the other medications and I started adding a small amount of MILK THISTLE to his special diet (Hill's K/D Prescription Diet). I used the formula in the postings of 125 MG per 25 lbs of body weight. Basically I give him a small pinch of milk thistle about the half the size of a dime. My husband was skeptical but we were desperate for anything that would make our precious yorkie feel better. His health has improved dramatically. He is back to his perky self. He has no vomiting and no diarrhea. He eats all of his food twice a day whereas before he would go days without eating. We use the Solaray Milk Thistle Extract capsules and open about 20 up at once to create a small bowl of powder so it is handy at meal times. We bought them at a health food store. I hope this post helps someone else!"Replies
10/07/2008: Kate from Jackson, Ohio replies: "I have a six pound Yorkie and when he gets the diarrhea I cook up plain spaghetti pasta, cool, and cut into bite size and feed him only that if it's really bad. If it's the first loose stool, I just add it to his diet. He really likes it, so that helps. He's 10 now and can still run faster than I can. This may not exactly help the liver, but it may soothe the digestive system in the meantime while the Milk Thistle cleanses the liver. Hoping your Yorkie feels better."
11/24/2011: Prishen from Durban, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa replies: "How much of milk thistle must we use? Please people; kindly be extremely specific in terms of dosages to help other desperate folks like me.
If you can also provide your numbers so we can call you as in some cases it's "life & death"
Milk Thistle, Burdock Root and Vitamin E
[YEA] 02/19/2007: Cheryl from Greensburg, PA: "My 11 year old lab/springer mix was diagnosed with a failing liver and we were at the point where we might have to put her down. I was so upset and traditional medicines were not working. I then tried Milk Thistle, Burdock Root and Vitamin E. She is amazing. Even our Vet can not believe the difference in her. She went from unable to stand, severe confusion, not barking to happy, playful and barking at everything in sight. For us, this was truly a miracle. Her liver enzymes went from counts in the thousands back down to normal ranges."Replies
09/16/2007: Jes from alloway, nj replies: "i have a question for CHERYL FROM GREENSBURG PA. i have a 10 year old boxer and his liver enzymes are way off the chart too and he also has some sort of tumor growth affecting the same area. i would like to start by helping his liver enzymes go back to normal range. other wise we are considering the same thing you would have had to do. HOW MUCH MILK THISTLE BURDOCK ROOT AND VITAMIN E DID YOU GIVE YOUR PET AND IN WHAT FORM? AND HAVE YOU RESEARCED ANY SIDE AFFECTS OF THESE "MEDICINES" ON DOGS? i really appreciate any response you can post as soon as possible. our dog is not doing so good."
03/06/2008: Lonnie from Kitchener, Canada replies: "I would like to find out what dosage you give regarding the burdock root, milk thistle and vitamin e for liver disease. I have a Maltese that is suffering and I am desperate. HELP ME PLEASE!!! The letter you published does not give any specifics. Thank you,"
03/27/2008: Carla from Orange Park, Florida replies: "I would like to find out what dosage you give regarding the burdock root, milk thistle and vitamin e for liver disease. Our 6.5 lb yorkie "Oliver" possibly ate something toxic... Hydrangea or Sago Palm and is not doing well. His liver count is high and the vet has given him Denosyn but I'd be willing to try anything to help him. Could you please let me know if you think it would help and how much to give. Is it the same stuff humans take or is it special for animals? Thank you in advance for your response."
07/02/2008: Kathleen from Vancouver, WA replies: "I have just adopted a male Basenji (Peyton) almost 3 weeks ago and am having behavioral problems. He is the sweetest boy with me every now and then would lash out at other dogs for no apparent reason. The breeder and I decided to talk to a Pet Communicator that I was skeptical of. Before I even asked the Pet Communicator questions she informed me that Peyton's liver needed to be cleansed of anesthesia from his neutering 3 weeks ago. She explained that the inbalance in the liver was affecting his odd behavior and when the liver is cleansed I will notice a difference in his behavior. I won't go into more detail of the visit I had with the Pet Communicator accept to say she knew things there is NO WAY she could have known about him!! I am now convinced and no longer a skeptic of pet communicators! Too the point..what she suggested to help clean his liver is to use Vitamin C in powder form and to give Peyton who is about 25 lbs 50-100 MG a day. She also suggested Milk Thistle and Dandelion. She said they usually come in 500 MG capsuls and to give him only 1/4 of the 500 MG. I would assume to get it in powder form as well. She said she uses it on her dogs (whoe are bigger then Peyton) and she gives them the same amount she suggested to me. I havn't tried it yet since I only found out last night, but I am going to. Hope this helps!"
11/24/2011: Prishen from Durban, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa replies: "Hi
What is the mg of dosage? What form is the treatment ie. The Milk thistle, the burdock root & vitamin E - is it in a liquid form? How often do you give your pet this treatment, is is twice a day or how many hours apart do you give it his/her dosage?
Prishen Durban, South Africa
05/16/2013: Sarah from La, Ca replies: "Hi!!! So happy ur dog is better- it gives me hope for my little chi diagnosed w liver shunts. (Shout out to Greensburg, btw- I went to Hempfield!! ) What were the dosages you gave your dog? I do a lot of naturopathy w my dog, but she only weighs 5 lbs. So I get nervous. Thnx"
09/04/2012: Momof2pits from Garner, North Carolina, Us: "Hi, I have a 5 year old Pitbull who was diagnosed as having an enlarged heart and liver (twice the normal size). She has a buildup of ascites fluid in her stomach. The vet has done blood test to find the cause of the enlarged organs. All tests have come back good and clear. After spending $400, the vet suggested that we take her to the University vet school for a biopsy which would run about $3,000. Needless to say, we can't afford that. At this time, she it taking heart medication and we have to have the ascites fluid drained. We just had 17 pounds of fluid drained about 3 weeks ago at a cost of $125 and within 2 weeks the fluid had come back. We can not afford to have the fluid drained every 2 weeks. Any suggestions? I am assuming the fluid is caused by the heart and liver condition, so if we could fix that it might fix the fluid issue. Our vet doesn't know what is wrong with her. Either we spend several thousands of dollars running tests and making guesses or have her put down. Any information or ideas would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!!"Replies
09/20/2012: Serenity from Schenectady, Ny replies: "Momof2pits-I saw your post when I was doing research online for herbs that would be good for a dog's system and felt so bad to hear about your boy that I just wanted to write you a quick note... In my research I have come across the herb Hawthorn being mentioned quite a few times as being very beneficial for dogs with heart conditions.. And Milk Thistle for the liver.. They can be gotten at any health food store or online.. I highly recommend the book Natural Remedies for dogs(Amazon) as it has SO much information on pet health conditions and Heart conditions and what herbs to give them to help treat them! Lots of advice from holistic vets! I read such good reviews on something called Hearty Heart as well if you google it im sure you will find it! I hope some of this can help with your boy!!"
10/01/2012: Sheltiemom from Birmingham, Al replies: "hello, I am so sorry to hear your dog is so sick. sounds like she has some very serious things going on.
one of my shelties had a heart condition. We used furosemide to pull the fluid off. It is a pill and very cheap. Have the vets suggested that for your dog? I also put him on a cardio strength pill from vetriscience along with coq 10, omega 3, hawthorne. I also gave him L-taurine and L-carnatine each day. A low fat low salt (very important) dog food. He was on natural balance duck/potato fomula because he also had allergies but that food has a lower salt content than some. If you shop around you can find the cardio support online and save money. I usually either ordered it from amazon or ebay depending on where it was cheapest. These supplements were tremendous. Not only did his heart condition not worsen, it actually improved. His cardiologist was amazed as each time she did new sonograms of his heart, it was better! I have no experience w/liver issues but I would think the low fat, low salt diet would not be hurtful for that condition.
The denamarin supplement for liver mentioned by another poster is supposed to be very good-again, shop around on the internet for the best price. There are also chat groups on yahoo for people who have dogs w/various issues. You might look for one of those to join. It is free and since the people on there have dogs w/these issues they can offer help and support. I found them very helpful to me. Sure hope you pittie gets better. I know what it is to love your dog!"
04/28/2012: Aida from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: "Hi, I need help here. My cat, boy has been diagnosed with enlarged liver condition and blood tested result is amylase is high - 1800. He just discharged from hospital but he is still not eating. He still vomiting. I really don't know what to do. The Vet asked us to continue give the medication. My daughter love the cat so much and I don't want to lose him. Please help."Replies
04/30/2012: Aka Sherri from College Station, Texas, United States replies: "Years ago, I had a very sick cat with a liver problem. I don't remember the specific diagnosis. I just know that all her numbers were very high and she was yellow. They gave her a 20% chance of survival.
My veterinarian suggested I give her 1 capsule of dandelion root a day to promote the appetite. He didn't know if it would help, but it couldn't hurt.
He obviously had no idea of all the other benefits of dandelion root.
I followed a rigorous schedule while she was sick and she did make it. She lived another 10 years without ever being sick again, at all!
The first thing you need to know is this. As you know, a sick pet will quit eating and drinking on her/his own. Lack of food and water usually kills our pets long before the ailment ever does. It is absolutley imperative that your cat be fed and watered every 4 hours. You'll have to check with your vet about specific amounts of each.
Now for what I figured out on my own that I believe saved my cat's life in addition to the dandelion root.
Everytime I fed Samantha, she would throw up. Anti-nausia medications did nothing to help. I was beside myself until I realized that it was the bile overflowing into the gut that made her throw up. So... At every feeding, I gave her enough to make her throw up the bile. We'd take a 2 or 3 minute break. After that, she could keep down all the food, water and medications I gave her.
We also had a designated place to eat. She would not leave that area until after we finished eating. We would take lots of breaks during feeding, but she would not be allowed to leave the feeding area. I believe this helped reduce stress for her because she knew that when we left feeding area, we were done eating. I think that is much better than letting the cat go wherever she wants to go when we take breaks, then going and retrieving over and over again. By doing it that way, she knew that when she would go back to her hiding place, she would no longer be interupted and stressed by hand feeding and watering.
I was VERY DILIGENT about keeping to a 4 hour schedule. I got up in the middle of the night to feed her, again that morning, I spent my luch hour feeding her......... I went to these lengths to save her and I personally believe that is why she made it.
I really couldn't tell if she was getting any better. She didn't seem to be. When I took her back for follow up blood work, they couldn't believe the difference! They were stupified!
I had to keep on top of it for another couple of weeks and still didn't see that she felt any better.
One day, I got special dinner for my other cat because she was getting so much less of my attention since Sam became so sick. That was the day I knew Sam was going to be okay! Samantha was resting next to her when I brought the special dinner in for Booh-Kitty. Sam JUMPED off of the bed and proceeded to gobble down all of the dinner! Thankfully, I had enough for both of them.
For about a year, Sam got nothing but that food because I knew she would eat it!
As soon as Sam started eating on her own, she felt so much better, gaining all her weight back and being her usual self again! Like I said earler, she lived another 10 years. She passed having lived a full, healthy life.
Even though I don't think that vet thought the dandelion root would help, I'm forever grateful to him. That was my first miraculous experience with herbal remedies and the thing that turned me on to natural medicine.
Interestingly, dandelion root is suggested."
05/01/2012: Aida from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia replies: "Hi Sherri, thank you so much. Where do I get dandelion root in kuala lumpur, Malaysia? Please help. I have try using aloe Vera plant on boy today morning before he eat a bit. I have to feed him but he don't want to eat at all. He only drink water on his own but not his food."
11/13/2011: Ann from Bethpage, Tn: "I am desperately searching for something I can do for my 8 1/2 year old Red Nosed Pitbull.
Liver: One large (3.5 cm) mass in right lobe of liver lateral to the gallbladder; mass had mixed echogenecity with cystic structures; another mass of similar size in the left lobe of the liver; several smaller hypoechoic masses noted throughout the liver parenchyma;
Gallbladder & Common Bile Duct: Normal wall thickness; normal content echogenecity;
Spleen: One large (> 6 cm) mass at tail of spleen; mass had mixed echogenecity with cystic structures; several smaller masses throughout spleen.
Scooby was presented for recurrent anemia. Abdominal palpation revealed a probable mid-abdominal mass and ultrasound unfortunately revealed liver and splenic vascular masses consistent with hemangiosarcoma. I discussed treatment options with Ms. McManus if Scooby's masses were limited to the spleen but the presence of multiple liver masses precludes surgical intervention and hemangiosarcoma is not responsive to chemotherapy. We can always pursue chemotherapy if Ms. McManus wanted to try something, but statistics have demonstrated that survivability in hemangiosarcoma patients is not affected by chemotherapy treatments. I recommended that Ms. McManus try to keep Scooby as comfortable as possible.
If anyone can advise me on what to do it would be greatly appreciated. There is so much info on this site it is overwhelming."Replies
11/16/2011: Moco from South Lyon, Michigan replies: "I have sick dog, enlarged spleen lymph nodes and tired.
http://www.myholisticpetvet.com/page/4/ is an area vet with holistic approaches.
I also started using BSST from http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Only-Natural-Pet-BSST-Herbal-Formula/999040.aspx#pr-header-999040
THe holistic community uses a barrage of herbs and stuff. Some are living longer and miraclying cured? The poison pharma community has tried methods for people but it appears to suck for pets.
I am looking for holistic vets to replace my current vets for they are now useless to me and rude to boot."
08/10/2011: Bubbasmum from Levin, New Zealand: "Hi, we are desperate for help. Our English Mastiff stopped eating a week ago. He developed diaorrhea and seemed depressed. We took him to the vet (as you do) and they took a few blood tests and suspected cancer as his belly is swollen. $700 dollars later they referred us to Massey University in NZ. They have taken biopsys of the liver as they assumed its cancer. $1700 later we are very stressed. They've got him drugged up and on a drip. They are looking for cancer but the biopsys are coming back clear. From the scan they can see the enlarging of the liver and some abnormal growths. (which they believe is the reason his tummys swollen).
I discovered this site today and have hope. I want to bring him home and try and help him. Could you please advise as to what you would recommend we can do for him. I've been reading about the milk thistle but what about feeding him if he wont eat. I dont mind feeding him with a syringe. He was a beautiful looking animal a few weeks ago and now looks elderly and thin. He is 8. Please help us he is a big part of us, we couldnt live without him. I feel im letting him down leaving him to be tortured and drugged up."Replies
08/15/2011: Andrea from Laurens, Sc replies: "mix yams, organic cottage cheese, oatmeal and little flaxseed and make griddle cakes browned in olive oil. I mix a tiny bit of peanut butter in it when she eats. I used a 1/4 tablet of Metronydizol for several weeks along with Amoxicilin. Her extended belly went down. Now I am taking her off the Met and giving her the milk thistle."
11/13/2010: Lj from Burns, Tn, United States: "I have a 14 yr. Old kitty who was just diagnosed with an enlarged heart and liver. His personality and spirit are intact, but his body is failing him. And it's happening quickly. He is such a trooper that I had no idea, as he didn't start to show symptoms until his condition was well under way. I can see that he wants to eat, but can't. I've boiled chicken, made chicken stock, cooked steak, sweet peas, noodles, broccoli, tried his favorite snacks and treats, nutri-cal, even out of desperation went through the drive thru and got french fries. Nothing has worked. I need to find a way to make him comfortable and to eat something. I would be ever so grateful for any help, suggestions and advice."
[YEA] 01/18/2009: Kelly from Nashville, TN: "I have a Jack Russell Terrier that was diagnosed with elevated liver enyzmes about 5 years ago. We go to a holistic vet who prescribed SamE for her. She has been on SamE daily (200mg) for years and her liver enzymes are now normal."Replies
[NAY] 06/26/2009: Judy from Clearwater, FL replies: "My 8-yr old female Shih Tzu also was diagnosed with high liver count - over 1,000! My vet put her on SAMe (1/2 pill 2xday), her liver count went up after one month on the SAMe. Now, I'm looking for a natural cure."
05/16/2013: Sarah from La,ca replies: "How much does your dog weigh? Am trying to figure out dosage for a 5 lb. Dog, thnx"
SAMe and Milk Thistle
[YEA] 10/25/2007: a2tzumom from Norman, OK: "Ailment:' This comment is in regard to canine LIVER Disease Remedy(s): Our vet put both shih tzu's on the herbal supplement, Denosyl, which is basically like the SamE that u can find online without a Rx. We researched on our own and found the SUPER MILK THISTLE. (those off the charts liver enzymes are now falling within the "normal" range.) We couldn't be more pleased!! We would DEF recommend trying this supplement! For our girls, it's been absolutely AMAZING!"