Conventional medicine has little to offer for many liver diseases, I suggest consulting a holistic veterinarian if possible. Although liver problems should be treated by a veterinarian; I will give a few suggestions as to supplements and possible helpful remedies. This is not intended to supplant veterinary care, however, as these conditions are truly too serious for home care without the guidance of a veterinarian.
We see more liver problems in dogs than cats; although the latter are by no means exempt from these conditions. Fatty liver is one of the one common liver diseases in cats, and it may be associated with some of the high-fat, poor-quality diets that are formulated for cats with urinary tract disorders.
In dogs, chronic liver inflammation is unfortunately rather common. It is often called chronic-active hepatitis because the underlying condition is chronic but the dogs tend to suffer repeated flare-ups that resemble acute liver illness. As with many conditions, some cases of liver inflammation may be autoimmune in that the liver is attacked by the body’ immune system. This may be triggered by drugs, pesticides, other pollutants, and vaccination.
I suspect these causes incite most cases of liver disease in dogs, and perhaps many cats. I have seen cases where blood-work before and after vaccination showed greatly increased liver inflammation a couple of months after the vaccines. One poor dog had been taken to the veterinarian for an examination because her guardian felt she was ill.
The veterinarian examined the dog and took blood for analyses, and then gave her the “yearly boosters.” The dog worsened over the next few weeks, and when the guardian consulted with me, the liver enzymes had skyrocketed, indicating the aggravation of the liver inflammation. The conventional assumption that vaccines are harmless (and thus it is acceptable to vaccinate a sick animal) created increase suffering for this dog and her guardian. How many other dogs and cats and their guardians suffer similarly?
Organochlorine and organophosphate compounds are commonly used for flea and tick control on and off of animals. Pesticides may also cause direct liver damage. these chemicals are highly poisonous to the liver; they include such formulas as diazinon, chlorpyriphos, lindane, chlordane, malathion, fenthion. and dichlorvos. Corticosteroids (“cortisone”) may also liver damage-even at normal dosage recommendations.
The major blood indicators of liver disease are
- alanine amino-transferase (ALT; the acronym was SGPT),
- alkaline phosphatase (ALP; also Alk Phos for short),
- gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT),
- aspartate aminotransferase (AST; old acronym SGOT),
- and bilirubin.
If jaundice occurs due to liver disease; the condition is often critical.
The first four are enzymes and increase as the liver cells are damaged by inflammation. ALT and AST are more specific to liver cell damage, while ALP and GGT may indicate bile duct obstructions. Bilirubin is a blood pigment that is processed into
bile by the liver and thus may increase in either condition; it may also increase with damage to blood cells.
If jaundice occurs due to liver disease; the condition is often critical. Liver disease is generally diagnosed with the assistance of blood testing, though in severe cases the accumulation of bilirubin discolors the gums and even the skin. The yellowish color is called jaundice or icterus. When this occur liver illness is usually the culprit, though severe blood cell destruction may also cause jaundice.
Any animal with liver disease should be under the care of a veterinarian. The following supplements may prove helpful, though. This is especially true for niacin, one of the B vitamins, as it may damage the liver at high doses. This is because even though supplements assist the liver is must also process them and it is important to minimize the work load on the liver to allow healing. Don’t use higher amounts unless your veterinarian advises you to do so; more is not necessarily better.
There are many formulas available so the best approach to dosage is to use according to label recommendations for human dose; for dogs up to twenty-five ponds, use-eight to one-fourth the human dose; for dogs between twenty-five to seventy-five pounds, give a full human dose. Milk thistle and its active compound. I have heard anecdotal avidence that is has saved the lives of people who have eaten deadly mushrooms. It is it is especially useful in acute attacks, though I generally recommend it for all animals with liver ailments.
Turmeric (the spice) is a potent liver-specific antioxidant and is useful for most animals with liver inflammation. Give a pinch twice a day to cats and one-fourth teaspoonful per twenty-five pounds twice a day to cats and one-fourth teaspoonful per twenty-five pounds twice a day to dogs.
Vitamin E(5 mg/blonde a day) and vitamin C (5mg/lb,two to three times a day)are antioxidants and also can help. Super oxide dismutase (SOD)is another very potent antioxidant that is often beneficial, it usually comes in tablets with 2000 IU or 125mg of elemental SOD. Give one tablet per ten to fifteen pounds daily, and if giving more than one tablet, split the daily total into two or three individual doses.
Coenzyme Q 10 is another antioxidant and immunebooster; give about 1 mg/lb daily. The B vitamins provide good support overall and should be administered to all animals with liver disease. Give about 10 mg of a multi-B per twenty to twenty-five pounds daily(for cats and for dogs up to twenty-five pounds give 10mg). Chlorine is a related vitamin that may be included; give about 1 mg/lb daily.
Amino acids many also support the liver by two methods. First, giving a broad based amino acid supplement reduces the liver’s work by avoiding the need for protein metabolism and elimination of the resultant by-products.
A protein drink such as those used by body builders often meets need, but be sure to get one without artificial preservatives or other chemicals. Secondly, certain amino acids have specific liver healing properties. L-Methonine, L-Cystene, L-Glutathione, and L-Arginine, and L-carnitine all help detoxify the liver. If not in the general amino acid supplement, these should be given given separately. Give L-Cysteine as follows; cats and small dogs,12.5mg,medium dogs 25mg,and large dogs 50mg. for all others give cats and small dogs 125mg,medium dogs 250mg,and large dogs 500mg. all doses are once a day.
For fatty liver disease, the amino acids L-Aginine, L-Mthionine, and L-Carnitine are especially helpful. Give one-fourth to one-half teaspoon of lecithin per ten pounds daily. Leafy green vegetables provide nutritional and detoxification support and should be fed to animals with liver disease. Lecithin is also particularly beneficial, as it helps fats metabolism.
Though this is not purely classical homeopathy, it is often quite beneficial, and the specific remedies do not usually interfere with the action of the main remedy.
As these are supportive only, the mental picture may not fit in all cases, so I recommend trying one at a time for a couple of weeks to a couple of months so see if helps. Use them in low potency (3X, 6X, 3c, or 6C) once or twice a day.
The following homeopathic medicines have specific benefit too the liver and hus can be used in conjunction with other theraphics. They are not a substitute for the correct constitutional remedy, although I occasionally will use these in low potency along with the constitionally remedy
Carduus marianus
The patient may also experience severe colic and cramping along with the liver attacks. There may be vomiting of green material (bible). The remedy has an affinity to the right side of the body.This remedy is made from milk thistle(see above), and I have used it successfully as support in animals that cannot handle the herbal form for whatever reason.
Cbelidonium majus
This is the remedy that is most known for liver support If these mental and general signs are present, the remedy will probably be very beneficial. It may even provide help with jaundiced animals. The mental picture may not always be present if this is not the constitutional remedy, yet the remedy may provide support. These patients tend to be angry (anger is the emotion related to the liver according to traditional Chinese medicine) and domineering, they may also be rather disobedient. Hot drinks, hot foods, and hot applications or baths may soothe these animals.
Cbolesterinum
These patients may produce copious amounts of urine before an attack of liver inflammations, this remedy is made from cholesterol. It is especially helpful when there is a bile duct obstruction or with fatty liver, though it may be helpful with any liver ailment.
