Liver issues

[tanza]

Good thoughts coming Rocky's way for Friday…

[k.rass]

My Max has been having liver issues for a few years now. He had ultrasound and biopsy but nothing specific was found just some "mottling" of the tissues. We've found Denamarin to be very effective but it is important when you give it to them. I even called Nutramax (manufacturer) to verify that an overnight fast is most effective. So, two hours after a meal, right before bed, I give Max one pill and he doesn't eat until the next morning. They said the dog can take up to 4oz of food and the pill will be effective, but I just give it to him with a spoonful of sour cream. I tried the pill at other times but his numbers were not as good. Definitely before bed is the absolute best.

Also a low protein diet is effective. Hills L/D canned food was prescribed and it has only 4.5% crude protein. He hates it so I just give him a little Wysong Senior (14% protein), a tiny taste of meat and tons of veggies and brown rice.

Also, my vet has been hesitant to put Max on any steroids since it's so bad for the liver. Is the steroid your vet suggests safe? I need a safer alternative than Deramaxx (steroid) I'm using now.

I hope your B gets better soon.

[hdolbow]

Well guys, it's not good news.

The ultrasound showed his liver is abnormally small. There's a lot of scar tissue. The specialist wanted us to do a biopsy but that's $1300. We decided to talk to our personal vet before we made any decisions because that's a lot of money.

Our vet called Dan this morning, he told us that there are three possibilities. Fibrosis of the liver, scar tissue, or inflammation(hepatitis). All three cause cirrosis which doesn't have a treatment. So the biopsy would narrow it down and tell us which of the three it is but regardless he's dying and there's nothing we can do. He's still on the denamarin and amoxicillin and he could be going on a steroid on Tuesday. It's supposed to help slow down what's happening, but he's been going downhill quick and we don't know how much time we have left with him.:(

[tanza]

So very sorry to hear this…. but it happens.... your best course of action, IMO... is to be able to keep him as comfortable as possible.... and been there, done that.... it is a hard decision .... and my heart goes out to you...

[agilebasenji]

Oh no, i was so hoping for some good news. it's so hard to loose a young dog. i lost a 5 year old malinois (very, very suddenly) a while back. i don't know if you're better off knowing or not. i didn't, you do. i agree $1300 is a lot to spend on a biopsy, especially if there's nothing to be done no matter the cause. I hope you can find some joy in this short time you have left with him. You're in my thoughts.

[k.rass]

It breaks my heart to hear this news. I'm so sorry Rocky is not doing well. I've been facing the same issues with medical costs and untreatable illness and I've had to let nature take it's course with Max as well. It's been hard to watch but the best I can do is keep him as pain free and comfortable as I can. My thoughts will be with you and Rocky.

[Janneke]

I'm so sorry to hear this.. I wish you a lot of strength.. Both you and Rocky are in my thoughts.

[thunderbird8588]

I am so sorry to hear your news about Rocky. Maybe with paliative treatment you will have him longer than you think. As i have said earlier Benji had an abnormaly small liver and the nearest we got to a diagnosis was that something was destroying the liver cells.
He was treated with Destolit and samylin for his liver and we had another 18 months with him, although your Rocky is considerably younger so you never know.

[hdolbow]

Thanks guys.. Were going to do whatever we can to make him comfortable.

I actually have another question for you guys though. I told his breeder exactly what I posted on here, and she didn't even act upset she instead started asking tons of questions and continued to tell me that dhlpp shouldn't ever be given after a year and a half and the L part can kill basenjis and I feel like she's trying to blame this on me because the vet said he thought he was born with it… Am I wrong? Should I not give my dogs that shot?

[tanza]

@hdolbow:

Thanks guys.. Were going to do whatever we can to make him comfortable.

I actually have another question for you guys though. I told his breeder exactly what I posted on here, and she didn't even act upset she instead started asking tons of questions and continued to tell me that dhlpp shouldn't ever be given after a year and a half and the L part can kill basenjis and I feel like she's trying to blame this on me because the vet said he thought he was born with it… Am I wrong? Should I not give my dogs that shot?

Hdolbow, please contact me privately, email link is on my website.

And just a quick comment…. While many of us do not give Lepto or feel it is necessary (L part), I would not say this was a cause. And honestly, if you were going to stop at 1 1/2 yrs, why give it at all? Unless doing titers.

[hdolbow]

Just sent you an email.

[lvoss]

When it comes to vaccinating, the current recommendation is to vaccinate on a 3 year schedule. You can do titres for Distemper and Parvo but it is more expensive so many people opt for a 3 year schedule.

Ask your vet about Intervet's Continuum DAP vaccine. It does not contain lepto and it is labeled for 3 year efficacy. Here is the website for Continuum so you can read up on it before you talk to your vet. http://www.continuumforpets.com/

[Basenjimamma]

I am so sorry to hear about Rocky and how he is doing..Sending warm hugs and hoping he will do better..it is so hard to loose your beloved pet, young or old..
My thoughts are with you all.

[hdolbow]

that contiuum doesn't have the Parainfluenza part either.. Do you not give your dogs that either? I'm definately going to mention this to my vet.

why don't you give the leptospirosis vaccine? Is there a reason or is it just preference?

[hdolbow]

@Basenjimamma:

I am so sorry to hear about Rocky and how he is doing..Sending warm hugs and hoping he will do better..it is so hard to loose your beloved pet, young or old..
My thoughts are with you all.

Thank you so much for your kind words! He gained a pound this week, so hopefully that's a good sign.

[lvoss]

@hdolbow:

that contiuum doesn't have the Parainfluenza part either.. Do you not give your dogs that either? I'm definately going to mention this to my vet.

why don't you give the leptospirosis vaccine? Is there a reason or is it just preference?

I have not given lepto because my boy, Nicky, has a brother who had a severe reaction to the lepto vaccine. So I have never given it but in recent years, my vet has stopped recommending it for any of their clients because serovars found in our area are not the ones in the vaccine so the dogs wouldn't protected anyways.

I have started using Continuum with last year's puppies upon the recommendation of my repro vet and do not plan to add Parainfluenza for those puppies.

[Knipper]

I don't want to give false hope, because this might be something completely different, but I thought I'd share, just in case.
Two years ago Blaze (who was 14) dropped half his weight in a month. He would eat, but nothing was getting absorbed. His stool was the colour of wheat and was barely solid, almost like pudding. It was also extrememly acidic and burnt his butt hairs away.
We did every type of test we could, but nothing was so far out of wack to explain it. The X Ray showed that he didn't have a liver. It was gone. There was nothing else wrong that we could see
Now at his age, we were given the option of the MRI to look closer, but there was no way I was going to put him through surgery at 14, and the cost of the MRI would have used up all of my funds. I talked it over with the vet and we decided to just treat him for the no liver and overworked pancreas issue.
He gets 1 tsp. of pancrease-v powder on his food and half a flagyl pill everyday. The powder has to sit on everything he eats for twenty minutes. If he feels frisky and eats the garbage or anything without the powder, he feels it for the next three days.
He is a healthy weight now, and the stool is pretty normal most of the time. We did an X Ray not too long ago, after her had his first and knock on wood only seizure, still no liver visible, but again, we haven't opted for the MRI.
I hope everything works out for you and your pup.

[Patty]

I've been following these threads with much sorrow. Remember while there's life there's hope. I pray for you both. I don't know whether you are open to homeopathic treatment but I gave one of my old dogs who had a very diseased liver due to an infection, homeopathic remedy Lycopodium. It kept him going for three more years without more problems.

[thunderbird8588]

@Patty:

Remember while there's life there's hope. .

I couldn't agree more and i'm sure however long you get with him will be precious.
I refused to believe Benji was dying because he wasn't, he was living !

[thegriffswife]

I haven't been on the threads is quite sometime. I took my 3 yr old basenji into the vet saturday for weight loss, digestion issues. I thought she had some sort of acid reflux but the vet suspected something different. We did blood work and it turns out she has high liver enzymes and high red blood cells. I would have to go to the university for an ultrasound. or our vet could do an xray but she said they may not find anything in the xray. I am devastated right now and I hope every turns for the better for your basenji!