small liver

i have a 3 year old siberian husky. he is very skinny,vomits,runs,will not eat. (he eats then its like he goes on a hunger stike. as long as he eats he is o.k)
when i took him to the vet for this they ran some test . his liver ensims were very high. she said he has a small liver.
i can not aford the liver pills every month. is their any vitamins or suppliments i can give him? or what can i do to get him 2 eat?

[Jaybay]

It's so difficult to have a pet with a chronic illness, but that doesn't mean the dog can't have a pretty normal life.  I think your question is best answered by one of the vets on the Ask a Vet board here at Med Help.  Dr. Cheng also practices holistic veterinary medicine and I'm certain she'll be able to give you some great suggestions.

[Misfits4Me]

The Liver pills (From your Vet) that you are referring to are probably:  "Denosyl" or "Zentonil" or others. They are all identical, but made by different companies. I buy mine online at much less cost than my Vet sells them for. About your question pertaining to vitamins and supplements: Yes there are...Milk Thistle makes a difference with dogs experiencing Liver problems. It can be purchased under the name of "Marin". It's about half the price as the others I listed. However, My personal favorite (That DOES work) is called "S-Adenosyl (SAMe)". It is a COMBINATION of the chemical in "Denosyl" plus Milk Thistle w/other vitamins added. For a Med. size dog, It's 19.00 for 30 tablets. This is also, much less than what the others cost (And IMO works the best).  Any of these can be purchased online at "Entirely Pets (Dot) com". under Liver support.... Hope this helps.....Karla

[Jaybay]

Great response Karla!  I entirely forgot about the milk thistle, and never knew SAMe was a good product for liver ailments.  Many thanks for the info.  :-)

[babye113]

thank you so much i'm going to look on line for this stuff. after i get it i will update. thank you again

[Misfits4Me]

Opps...I forgot about the getting him to eat part...What do you feed him as his primary food? We'll start there.....Let me know.........Karla
P.S. Your Welcome  (From above post)

[babye113]

he eat dog chow with can food mixed thats the only way he will eat. can for with no gravy

[Misfits4Me]

I'll get back to you soon..I see your "Mood" is worried...If it's over your dog, don't worry...I'm going to help you...I'm getting some info. together for you...Hang in there, I'll be back.....Karla

[Misfits4Me]

Let's look at his food: Purina Dog Chow.....The way to read an ingredients label off of your bag or can is this: The first ingredient listed is what the food has the most of in it. The second would be second most, third a little less and so on. Here's goes:
1st Ingredient - Whole Corn - Means the bulk of this food is corn. Digestion of Corn
                       causes skin irritations, hair loss, ear infections, kidney and LIVER  
                       disease, chronic digestive problems, heart disease, and thyroid disease
                       in dogs. NO Nutritional value in corn..It's used as a cheap filler!
2nd Ingredient - Poultry By product - This would mean Chicken heads, beaks, feet, etc.
                        No Nutrition here!
3rd Ingredient -  Animal Fats- This is used grease from human restaurants (Not fit for
                       Humans). It is sprayed on the outside of kibble to get a dog to eat things
                       it normally WOULD NOT eat. NO nutritional value!
4th Ingredient - Corn Gluten - Glutens were found to have caused the Pet Food Poisoning
                       in March of  "07".  NO nutrition here!
5th Ingredient - Meat & Bone Meals - Meals are made of Carcasses that are boiled for
                       hours. Any Nutritional value is damaged by the cooking process. They
                       are then ground up into meals. Thus, NO nutritional value!
6th Ingredient - Brewers Rice - This product is already used. It is used to brew beer for
                       Human consumption. Nothing else to use it for, so they throw it in Pet-
                       Food. No Nutrition....
You see where this is going...This food also includes Animal Digest. Animal Digest is actually POOP!  (I'm not kidding).  This one is also full of preservatives and dyes. Both of these are toxic to Kidneys and Livers!  Your dog is receiving No nutrition from this food because there is NO food in it....Thus, he is ill!   Coming next, I will help you with finding him a Good Food at a reasonable cost.........I'll get back, soon....Karla
                    

[babye113]

i can't beleive thind that is unreal. that the even put that stuff in for the dogs. if i would have know this sooner he may not even have this problem. thank you for this.
the only reason he eats this is that we have tried different foods he will eat for alittle while then stop but he seems to eat the dog chow more then the others. we tried iamb with him and all he did was vomit. and my other dog did to. so we just went back to the dog chow. wow i'm so socket its not funny.
thank you for helping me.

[Misfits4Me]

OK, I've got you an example of what you need to look for in a food. First, these foods will NOT be found at Chain Discount Centers or Grocery Stores. You will have to look around for other places that sell Dog products and supplies. Also, some feedstores sell excellent foods for dogs. YOU HAVE TO READ THE LABELS before you decide what to buy. Some foods are outragously priced...Just keep looking...Some very good foods are affordable...Here's my example: This food is named "Chicken Soup For Pet Lovers Soul". It is made by Diamond Pet Foods. Some of Diamonds other foods are worthless, but this one is very, very good for the price. It also was approved by "The Whole Dog Journal" which is an honor. Here goes: (This is their DRY FOOD)
1st Ingredient - Chicken
2nd               - Turkey
3rd                - Chicken Meal
4th                - Ocean Fish
5th                - Barley
6th                - Whole Grain Brown Rice
7th                - Oatmeal
8th                - White Rice
9th                - Potatoes
Other things: Apples, Blueberries, Spinach, Cranberrys. NO preservatives and NO dyes. Sounds better doesn't it? NO CORN, WHEAT, or SOY.
Now the CANNED FOOD....It's even better..Even more nutrition in their canned food.
1st Ingredient - Chicken
2nd.              - Turkey
3rd.               - Chicken Broth
4th.               - Duck
5th.               - Salmon
6th.               - Chicken Liver
7th.               - Brown Rice
8th.               - White Rice
9th.               - Oatmeal
Other things: Carrots, Peas, Etc.....NO CORN, WHEAT, or SOY. NO Preservatives & NO Dyes...
Yes, these foods cost more, but in the long run they sure are worth it. Actually, this one is at an excellent price, too. The dry food runs about a $1.00 a pound. I'm not sure what the canned costs. I'd have to look that up. My guess is $1.00 or so a can. The good news is that a dog does not need as much of these foods as they are NOT full of cheap, unnutritional fillers. There are Lots of oter foods out there. This is my example of what to look for. If you happen to find this one, Buy It!  Also, get some of the canned....Your dog will thank you for it! I like canned food because of the extra moisture in it. Helps to keep the Kidneys flushed, helps with hydration, and hasn't been Cooked to death. (So to speak).  All right, I think I'm finished....If you need anything else, let me know. If I think of something I forgot, I'll get back to you...Good luck to you and yours......Karla
P.S. ALL of IAMS foods are C-R-A-P!   Sorry, I had to add that...I feel better, now!   ;)  

[daisidoo]

Hi, my name is Lois Sutton. I have a 3 yr. old Jack Russell named Pandi.  Ever since I got her at 9 weeks she could care less about eating. When that started I found Susan Thixton's website "Truth About Pet food"
She is a remarkable person and has been working day and night to fight for better quality dog food.  If you join her site (I think it costs $17.95/yr.) you can log into the Petsumer Report.  Petsumer Report is a must have as far as I can see.  It reviews dog & cats food and treats. It also has a video if I remember correctly that will show you what "really" goes in to many pet foods.  THAT WILL SURE OPEN YOUR EYES!!  

[Misfits4Me]

Hello Daisi.....For more information, please purchase the book by ANN Martin,  "Food Pets Die For" : The Shocking Truth about Pet Foods...Every pet owner should own a copy....

This book can be purchased on Amazon for around $10......My eyes have already been opened.....I began my quest in 2007....Good for you to have figured it out, too.  ;)   Karla