Ask the Vet About Liver Disease in Dogs and Cats

What meds. Bloating is my main concern now. She is on high powered vitamins from vet. Hey! Your cat should not bloat. If her or his belly is distended and big this could be from something else like fluid filling in the abdomen from liver swelling and edema or a tumor causing a vessel obstruction. I think you should start with an Abdominal Ultrasound and some X-rays and keep working up this cat with diagnostics with your vet to see more of what is going on the better prescribe medications to treat. Liver disease is very serious in cats. I hope this helped! Dr. Lindsay Butzer

You filed your question under "liver disease", so I assume your cat has liver disease, so just in general, Science L/D is formulated for cats with certain kinds of liver disease. Honestly it depends on exactly what is going on and what underlying cause may have caused the liver disease so your veterinarian is definitely the best person to ask, who has access to all of your cats bloodwork and history.

Your veterinarian is definitely the best one to ask about that: it will depend on her liver values (and kidney, etc.) in her bloodwork.

I'm not sure what product you are specifically asking about. Feel free to submit another question if you still need help.

That is a question for your veterinarian that has access to your dog's bloodwork and knows the severity of his/her liver disease.

I would need to see all of his bloodwork to really advise you : like which liver enzyme, any other changes, are all of his liver enzymes elevated or just one, etc. so consult your veterinarian for the best advice.

Probably not, but if the liver disease is severe enough, choosing a heartworm preventative that is not metabolized by the liver is a good idea. Getting heartworms would be far worse on his liver, so he'll more than likely need to be on something.

I would really need to see her bloodwork, get a full history, do a physical exam and look at her other tests to really be able to tell what is going on. I'm glad you are seeing a specialist - they will have all of that information and hopefully be able to help.

That is unusual and makes me wonder if the underlying liver disease is worsening so contact your veterinarian for recheck bloodwork. Consider products like Denamarin if s/he's not already on it and has liver disease - here is a link to read about it: https://www.1800petmeds.com/Denamarin+Tablets+-prod11008.html

It really depends on many factors (blood work, weight of the puppy compared to his frame, etc.) so consulting your veterinarian, who has access to all of that information, is ideal. Science Diet L/D is a food we often choose for our patients with liver problems, but it is primarily for adults. You can always call and speak directly to Science Diet's Veterinary nutritionist for advice as well (or any of the big name food companies - most employ board certified veterinary nutritionists like Purina, Royal Canin, Blue Buffalo, etc.)

I can't legally recommend human products through the internet, and some contain ingredients that can be potentially toxic but the active ingreients in denamarin can be found in human alternatives so work with your veterinarian to find something safe in your area.

Denamarin is a combination of an anti oxidant called (1) SAMe, which can be found online and in stores, and (2) marin, the active ingredient in milk thistle, which can as well.

We, regular veterinarians in private practice, don't see SARDs very often at all so working with your local veterinary ophthalmologist might be the best option, especially with that elevated ALT.

That's probably fine BUT definitely check with your veterinarian (who has access to all of his bloodwork, etc.) before doing that.

Oh yes, definitely - ask for a referral from your veterinarian (that has all of her records) to an internal medicine specialist near you. More tests to determine why the liver enzymes are rising are definitely indicated if they are continuing to rise.