Knowing Your Dog's Liver Health Problem

The dogs are lovable animals. They are the highly preferred as far as pet animals are concerned. The health of the dog is very important for the pet owner as they treat dog as their family member. Dog health and liver problem of the dog are inversely proportional.

If the liver is having problem the dog health will never be good as the liver is the important organ involved in the digestion of the food that is eaten by the dog. The liver problems of the dogs are so many like liver cirrhosis, liver toxicity, hepatitis, liver fibrosis etc. let us discuss about hepatic micro vascular dysplasia here.
Hepatic micro vascular dysplasia

HEPATIC

This is a condition that is commonly seen in the dog. Here there will be mix up of arterial blood and the venous blood in the liver at microscopic level. This condition is also called hepatic- portal micro vascular dysplasia. This particular condition is noticed in all breeds of the dogs but the incidence is more in terriers.

This condition is not all that easy to diagnose as there will not be any peculiar symptoms that suggest this condition. The dogs will exhibit seizures, central nervous system disorder symptoms and other gastro intestinal disorder symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, etc. this condition can be diagnosed at the lab level by testing the bile acid response.

Abnormal bile acid response can be noticed in the condition called photo systemic shunts also. In order to rule of the possibility of this condition in suspected case of micro vascular dysplasia, liver biopsy has to be done.

The prognosis of the hepatic micro vascular dysplasia is very good if the dogs are diagnosed before showing any clinical signs. Once the clinical signs are noticed, the owner can only manage the condition through diet and medication.

The diet therapy aim is to reduce the protein content and the medication therapy is aimed at reducing the ammonia level in the digestive tract and in the body of the animal. Lactose injection is advised to the dogs with this condition in order to obtain stool, which is soft and formed.

Injections with antibiotics such as neomycin and metranidazole are given two times a day. The response for the treatment varies from dog to dog. Some dogs lead a normal life through out their normal life span while some other dogs succumb to the condition in due course.

If the dog owners are convinced that the dog health and liver problem of the dog are adversely related, they will certainly take extra care so that the possible liver problems are prevented.

Knowing Your Dog's Liver Health Problem

HEPATIC