Caring for your Dog's Liver

I have done a fair amount of research since Piper was diagnosed with liver problems.  (He, by the way, is doing quite well and we're grateful.)  I was unaware of how common liver disease of all types really is!  Once I started talking about Piper, I was amazed to hear other people talk about similar experiences.  It's my nature to jump all in and fully research anything that's going on with my dogs, so naturally, this wasn't going to be any different.  Here are some helpful things I learned that may be of some use.  This is purely my own research and findings and I am in no way a pet medical professional. 

Milk Thistle
A healthy liver is essential because it detoxifies any chemicals or pesticides your dog may be exposed to, any possible toxins through food, and chemical prescription drugs.  Milk thistle is a flowering plant that comes from the Aster family. It is effective for treating dog liver disease in a few different ways. It can protect against the toxins mentioned above and milk thistle has been shown to stimulate growth of new or damaged liver cells.  It also helps work as an anti-inflammatory, and aids in pain relief.  I haven't yet added this to Piper's diet, but I read very positive reviews.  My vet gave us a supplement called Denamarin, an enzyme to help support Piper's liver.

Diet
*There was mixed advice about protein levels, but it seemed "high" won out.  In much of what I read, I found that veterinarians commonly recommend feeding a diet in high quality proteins. You dog can digest these types of proteins better.  Most veterinarians recommend that owners feed their dogs a mix of animal based and plant proteins. 
*Several small meals a day opposed to one or two larger meals.
*Dairy products can be easy on your dogs struggling liver.  They produce less ammonia than meat products.
*Oatmeal is great for extra fiber to aid in removing the ammonia from the system so the liver doesn't have to work to process it.
*Avoid food with high amounts of copper if diagnosed.  High- lamb, pork, duck, turkey, chicken, fish.  Lower options would be beef, eggs and cheese.
*Absolutely NO human processed foods.
*Possibly advised to use antacids to reduce the risk of ulcers forming.
*Plenty of clean, fresh water to stay hydrated.  

Meds/ Environment
*Limiting the use of heartworm, worming, flea and tick meds/preventatives is also advised if your dog is diagnosed with liver disease.  These are all drugs your dog's liver must process and can put undue stress on an already sick liver.
*Keeping your dog in a temperature regulated, relatively calm environment.  Temperature fluctuations and stressful homes can cause the liver to work harder than needed.

Take Care of your Liver!  Woof!

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