Content
- liver problem in dogs
- Hepatomegaly
- Can liver disease be cured?
- Dog with liver problem: what to eat?
- Home Remedies for the Treatment of Dogs with Liver Problems
- Boldo tea
- jurubeba tea
- Mint tea
the liver is a important organ as it is responsible for several metabolic activities in the body of dogs. It is common for dogs to develop liver disease, known as liver diseases, as they grow older. However, you must be aware of the signs. Since the liver plays an essential role in the proper functioning of the dog's body, the problem must be treated as soon as possible.
If you have a dog with a liver problem at home, we at Animal Expert bring this article with information about liver disease in dogs and some home remedies for dog liver.
liver problem in dogs
The liver is an organ that acts on various systems in the animal's body. Because of this, there are several situations that can cause liver problems in the dog, such as:
- Accumulation of fat due to obesity
- Liver diseases caused by microorganisms (such as distemper and leptospirosis)
- chronic hepatitis
- Hepatical cirrhosis
- Drug hepatitis (caused by drug use reactions)
- Altered blood distribution to the liver
- Diabetes
- Poor or unbalanced diet
- Ingestion of harmful substances
The treatment of any disease is extremely effective when treated quickly and that includes liver disease. It is important that you pay attention to the signs that your dog may present if it is facing this health problem, so that the diagnosis and treatment are carried out quickly and effectively by you and by a veterinarian. The main symptoms that the dog may have if it has a liver problem are:
- loss of appetite
- Tiredness
- Weight loss
- Diarrhea
- vomiting
- excessive thirst
- orange urine
- pale gray stools
- Discouragement, lack of interest in playing
- Rapid change in heart rate
- Fever
- Yellowing of mucous membranes
- Depression
- swollen liver
Hepatomegaly
Hepatomegaly is characterized by an enlarged dog's liver. Hepatomegaly is actually a symptom for other diseases that may be affecting the dog's liver, such as liver cancer or liver damage. If the dog has this clinical condition and is not treated quickly, there may be liver failure and even death of the animal. Some symptoms that may indicate that the dog has hepatomegaly are:
- white stools
- vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Behavior change
- Urinate little
- Weight loss
Can liver disease be cured?
Once the symptoms are observed, the veterinarian will be able to carry out some blood tests to conclude what the best forms of treatment are for the dog with liver problem. In addition, urine analysis, abdominal radiography, ultrasound and liver biopsy may be requested. You exams are performed frequently to find out if the dog is getting better with the treatment.
The treatment of liver disease has four goals:
- Eliminate or remove the causative agent of the disease
- Minimize the negative effect of the disease-causing agent
- Favor liver healing and regeneration
- Keep the animal alive until the disease is cured
Treatment for liver disease is very important as the liver is an organ that has regeneration capacity. The main forms of treatment for a dog with liver problems are:
- Change in Diet: A dog with liver disease needs a diet rich in proteins, vitamins, mineral supplements and nutrients that promote better liver cell regeneration.
- Medication: The veterinarian may prescribe the use of medicine for dog liver. For example, if the liver problem is caused by some bacteria, you can use some medicine with antibiotic action to treat your animal. It is always important to follow up with the veterinarian to find out if the drug is helping or not in the treatment of the liver problem.
- Home remedies: In cases of dogs with liver problems, homeopathic and herbal treatments can also be used due to their antibacterial and antifungal properties.
It is important that you do not administer any medications on your own. Liver Disease Can Be Fatal to your dog. Therefore, it is essential to monitor a veterinarian during the diagnosis and treatment of the dog, until the disease is cured.
Dog with liver problem: what to eat?
The care of your dog's diet is an important issue in the treatment of liver disease. Still, there are discussions about the best foods for dogs with liver problems. It is known nowadays that food can vary according to the dog's clinical condition, that is, according to the cause of the liver problem and the symptoms presented by the dog.
- Proteins: The high protein content in the diet of most dogs with liver problems is beneficial, it helps to prevent cachexia and ascites. However, if the dog has hepatic encephalopathy, it is recommended that there be limitations on the amount of protein the dog can ingest. The protein source always needs to be of good quality and easy to digest.
In addition, it is advisable to avoid the consumption of red meat and its derivatives, as this food favors the inflammatory process, which can worsen the clinical condition of dogs with liver problems.
- Energy: Dogs with liver problems usually show behavior of lack of appetite, which prevents nutrients and energy from being used by the animal's body.In these cases, fats play a very important role because they have two qualities: The first is that the fat has a large amount of energy in relation to its size and the second is that the fat has a very attractive taste to animals. But be aware, in animals with steatorrhea (fat in the stool) or hyperlipidemia (fat in the blood) the consumption of fat should be limited.
You can offer fish and meat as a source of fat for the animal. In addition, there are foods prepared especially for dogs that can provide a recommended amount of fat for a dog with liver problems.
- Vitamins and minerals:
- Vitamin E: It is indicated for cases of cholestasis, when bile cannot flow properly to the intestine, or copper intoxication. Vitamin E has an antioxidant action, which helps protect the body of dogs with liver problems.
- Vitamins B1 and B12: They are indicated for cases where the dog is not feeding properly. These vitamins aid in cell tissue regeneration.
- Vitamin K: It is indicated for cases of dogs with hemorrhagic tendency and cholestasis.
- Sodium restriction: It is recommended for puppies with edema and ascites.
- Zinc: Zinc is important as it decreases copper absorption, which can cause liver problems in the dog. This treatment is advisable for some dog breeds such as: West Highland White Terrier (“Westie”), Bedlington Terrier and Skye Terrier
Home Remedies for the Treatment of Dogs with Liver Problems
Boldo tea
Boldo is an excellent home remedy for dogs with liver problems, as it has the ability to treat swollen livers with accumulated fat, improves bile secretion, relieves symptoms and nausea and abdominal discomfort. To make the boldo tea you need:
- 2 sheets of bold
- 200 ml of water
Method of preparation:
Mix ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, strain the mixture and let it cool. To be able to take advantage of all the properties of boldo, it is advisable to consume the tea right after preparation.
jurubeba tea
Jurubeba is used as a home remedy to treat liver problems due to its diuretic and digestive properties. To make the jurubeba tea you need:
- 30 grams of jurubeba leaves and fruits
- 1 L of water
Method of preparation:
Mix ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, strain the mixture and let it cool. To be able to take advantage of all the properties of jurubeba, it is advisable to consume the tea right after preparation.
Mint tea
Mint is used as a medicinal plant for many treatments for gastrointestinal diseases. It has properties that help revitalize liver and gallbladder health, relieving nausea and bloated stomach symptoms. To make mint tea you need:
- 250 ml of water
- 1 handful of mint
Method of preparation:
Mix ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Put out the heat, strain and let it cool. To be able to take advantage of all the properties of mint, it is advisable to consume the tea right after preparation.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.