elricc Posted April 14, 2007 Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 As most of you know I have been having a heartbreaking time with my special girl over the past week She was fitting last weekend, taken to vets and since then its been a rollercoaster Has been drinking gallons of water a day and consequently peeing like a horse and pooing water. Basically so far we have found out the following. Initially vet said she had end stage liver tumour before all the ultrasound and scans. But thank the goddess she is clear of mass tumours. Salada has an incredibly small liver for a dog her size 40kg. Her intestinal walls are very thickened. Liver enzymes are out of sync (waiting for results of a liver function test). On Wednesday she had a massive dose of AB's although she had no temperature to show infection, this seemed to make her turn the corner. (her white blood cell count was high) She is home now and her drinking and urination has slowed, her specific grav of her urine has increased to normal. So she is on steroids to reduce any inflammation in her bowel and liver. She is on meds to help her liver function. She is on 2 types of anti biotics. Basically we are thinking that she has had some sort of infection and that with her thickened bowels and low liver function her body couldn't metabolise and there was a build up of toxins, which caused the fits. We have ordered Milk Thistle to help. We need to start a special diet for her, there is a specialist hepatic food (low copper and anti oxidants), but Salada absolutely refuses to eat complete food, I know that she would starve herself rather than eat it. Her diet at the moment is a mixture of a small amount of complete food, rice, barley,pasta or cous cous, meat/fish (only human grade) and some veggies. She has some bones, but does not do well on raw meat. We need to try her on a different type of carbohydrate source and a different protein source and have low copper. Any suggestions, I feel like I am walking on egg shells trying to get her diet right. I am going to stop all wheat products and put her on a low copper diet (a lovely lady found me a link) so she is going to be eating white fish, chicken, white meat , a small amount of beef, dairy products, eggs, white rice, oatmeal, tapioca, sago, and quinoa (when I find the copper content of it) and certain veg ( no potatoes) she can't have the hepatic food as it contains a lot of wheat and soya, and I know she wouldn't eat it, and I wouldn't really want her to. I have also managed to find a nbook called cooking for dogs with liver disease, so hopefully I will be able to manage this. Any body got any other advice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooandboo Posted April 14, 2007 Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 I don't know if this is any use - he stresses that he is not a vet but it might have some options to discuss with your own vet: http://www.dogaware.com/specific.html#liver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReikiAnge Posted April 14, 2007 Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 Laura, do you have a homeopathic vet you could take her to (with referral from your normal vet). I would look into this option and see what they had to advise about diet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kats n greys Posted April 14, 2007 Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 to Salada. Can't offer a great deal of help, but when we were looking for alternative protein sources for Norton we found Zooplus and we've bought a reasonable amount of food from there to act as an appetite encourgement when various cats have gone off their food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie C Posted April 14, 2007 Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 (edited) Loads of good thoughts still for Salada. Julie x Edited April 14, 2007 by Julie C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Frances Posted April 14, 2007 Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 No advice but lots of good thoughts being sent to Salada and lots of to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyMalc Posted April 14, 2007 Report Share Posted April 14, 2007 Purrpuss has got a dog with liver disease and cooks all dinners for her and her other 4 dogs herself. Might be worth contacting her Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
border collie Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 Speak to the very lovely Lindsey (reds) on here as twiggy has a poorly liver and has a difficult time with diet :GroupHug: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kats inc Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 Mum's been given a list of foods that will be good for Soph's liver,lots of veggies on it I know.I'll phone & ask her later what else and come back Laura.I know runner beans are on the list as we laughed cos Soph adores them and would eat a whole plate willingly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elricc Posted April 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 Thank you everyone, I will contact Purrpuss and await your list Jules. Yesterday I managed to get her to eat raw chicken, wouldn't eat cooked, usually its the other way round. She also ate couple of scrambled eggs with rice. This morning she had a bowl of cooked chicken with rice and fresh parsley. Mark has gone fishing so she will be having fresh fish and rice for her tea. I can see the veg bit being problematical as she will not eat any raw veg but will eat some cooked. She oes like fresh tomatoes though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickentikka Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 I'll have a google a bit later as I came across a really good site when Barney was first ill. Low protein, fat and copper are the basic rules. Good sources of protein are fish, chicken, turkey, cottage cheese, eggs and natural yogourt. Lots of veggies - broccolli is a good liver detox as is a pinch of turmeric and garlic. Barney is a bit of a fussy so and so at times but thoroughly enjoys hi life senior pouches, with a few senior complete biscuits or some rice and a dollop of veggies and a milk thistle tablet. 'Wet' (as in meaty' food) is much lower in protein than complete. I might be back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elricc Posted April 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 Is Barney on the Zentolin meds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickentikka Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 Barney is on 150mg destolit and 400mg metranidazole twice a day plus 2 little prednisadol tabs once every other day. I also give him milk thistle once a day (and he has cod liver oil and glaucosamin for his arthritis). My dog rattles! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natpants Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 Sorry I have no help to offer, sounds like hard work for you, hope you get lots of good ideas on here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kats inc Posted April 15, 2007 Report Share Posted April 15, 2007 It was actually a link to this article Mum had.I got muddled Not sure if you've seen it Laura but it looks interesting and a nice simple but wheat free recipe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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