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High ALT Liver Test -

I need advice.

I have a year and a half yellow lab.   Last year, when we had his bloodwork done, we noticed that his liver ALT levels were high.  (close to 500)   The vet at that time put him on clayamox for a few weeks and re-tested.  His levels only decreased slighty.   Out of concern, we had a ultrasound done.  Ultrasound results came back absoutley normal.   The vet pretty much said, lets play the "wait and see game"  

Since then, we have switched vets.   We recently had bloodwork done and again my dog's ALT liver levels are still high. (Everything else is normal in his bloodwork!)  My dog acts fine. He's very active, not lethargic at all, eats & drinks well, hasn't been throwing up, no jaundice or anything like that.   The vet now recommended to do a liver bx .   She says, the wait and see game could only lead to more serious things.  If we wait, years to come, if something came up, it may be too late to correct the probelm.  

I've done some research.   Most liver diseases the dog shows signs and symptoms.   I would think
if things were really serious with my dog, he'd be pretty sick. What do you think?

I am doing a liver bx in a few weeks.  

Any ideas on what this may be?  
68 Responses
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462827 tn?1333168952
Hello & welcome......There are 4 specific Enzymes that diagnose Liver Problems....The Most common are ALT & ALKP (Alkaline Phosphatase)....In your dog, is it only the ALT? How how were they the last time? (At the New Vet)...

Has either of these Vets suggested medication (Other than the antibiotic) for a month or two & then a retest? There are wonderful meds/supplements to help filter toxins in the Liver.....Did your Vet offer anything like SAMe, Denosyl, Zentonil, etc.  These products work beautifully...Your Vet DOES sell one!

With NO symptoms, I'd be looking for toxins that your guy is getting into.....This can be anything from low quality dogfood (Enhanced with artificial preservatives, dyes, & chemicals), flea & tick products, toxic tap water, heartworm medication, chemicals on the lawn or floors, etc......

What do you feed? What treats does he get? There are recalls on products frequently because of toxins......You need to be looking at EVERYTHING that goes in his mouth or is absorbed through the shin.....

There's a starting point....Let us know what you think.....Others will come by with suggestions........Karla
Helpful - 1
462827 tn?1333168952
Oops.....I meant, "How HIGH were they the last time tested?"  Sorry!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you!  The last time his liver levels were tested at the old vet, his ALT test was about the same. (high 400's) Afterward, the old vet, had put him on chlavamox for 2 weeks and re-tested.  This had only brought his levels down a bit.  Not much at all.  The old vet wasn't much of a help with this probelm, he kept beating around the bush on it.  I didn't like it at all, I just wanted answers.  Main reason why we switched vets.  

We are feeding him Blue dog food.  As for treats, he is limited to the fact that is is allegric to anything beef.   He usally gets the Milo's chicken strips. (I think that is the name).  

I think your absoutely right about the toxins!!   He loves to chew on sticks in the yard.  We try our best to keep him away from doing it.  

He isn't on any other medications.  Except, Heartguard once a month.  He also has had a few meds for ear drops for ear infections.   (that was mostly over the summer)  

What kind of treats are healthy for dogs?  

Any advice is greatly appreciated!  

Helpful - 0
462827 tn?1333168952
Stacy......I'm not familiar with these particular Chicken Jerky Strips, but you must be very careful...Check your package...Although it will lead you to believe that they are US made, check closely.....Look at the Tiny print...Check every inch of the package....If you see a "MADE IN CHINA" anywhere, then you may have found your culprit! These are DANGEROUS and you must throw them away, forever!!!!!! DO NOT risk it!!!

There are 1000's of complaints in the last few months, of dog illness from chicken jerky made in china.....As of this week, the FDA has finally stepped in to determine whats going on...However, by the time they figure it out, many, many more will get sick & die.....There are many reports of Liver problems, digestive disturbances,  chemical imbalances, Kidney FAILURE and Death, from chemical poisoning in these treats.....
You can google this & find many sites with these reports....Be careful w/the stories, they are heartbreaking!!!!!!

Next: If you've always used "Heartguard", that may be your problem source......Heartguard contains a very potent chemical called "Ivermectin"....Many breeds cannot tolerate this particular chemical.....One of the potential side effects is Liver problems.....This chemical (If unknowing, given to the wrong dog) can be fatal.....

It would be worth changing to another Heartworm Medication is see if this is the source of your dog's elevated Liver enzymes.....Interceptor is one brand that does not contain Ivomec.....There are others, but Intercepter seems to be fairly common to find....

Next...Stick with the Blue!!! It's an excellent food...Good for you to have figured that out...You need to incorporate some wet foods in his diet, daily....Be it canned (Blue) food or fresh Wet foods from your table, it's important to add moisture to help flush toxins from the system & to keep his Kidneys functionally properly......You won't be sorry, years down the road! :)

Last, let him have his sticks...They are so important......Unless you have your trees sprayed with Chemicals, these won't hurt him....Keeps Minds very busy!  :)

OK, I'm done for now......Let me know if you have any questions...Take care, Karla
Helpful - 0
462827 tn?1333168952
Here's just one example of many I found.....There were fifty comments under this post that I did not copy....Most were very, very sad, I'm sorry to say!!!!!   Karla I've had to split this up into 2 parts....This is part 1:

Tuesday, December 13, 2011
DO NOT buy Milo's Kitchen Chicken Jerky
You've heard the expression "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned".

Prepare for a fiery blast.

First up, you need to know that when someone - anyone - hurts someone or something I love, I go into "Mama Bear" mode. I'm instinctively protective.

When someone - anyone - treats me with platitudes about the harm done....well...see "hell" and "fury" and "woman scorned" above.

It started off with my wanting to do something 'special' for my wonderful dog, Theo. A neighbor had made some chicken and beef jerky for her dog in her own kitchen and gave a piece of chicken jerky to Theo. He loved it. LOVED. It. Gobbled it down in the small pieces I had broken off to give him.

So, the next time I was at the market, I bought some for him. Not just any brand. The top shelf stuff. Milo's Kitchen "home style" brand. He has eaten their beef jerky without difficulty. So, I thought, well, why not try the chicken jerky?

I admit. I didn't look at the label. I knew it was made by Del Monte - a trusted name in vegetables and other canned goods, some under the "Contadina" label. Indeed, they also make "9-Lives" Cat Food, "Meow Mix", "Gravy Train" dog food as well as "Nature Recipe".

I didn't notice that the package of chicken jerky said that it was "Made in China".

Apparently, the chicken jerky is the only one of the dog treats made by Del Monte which is actually made in China.

I fed him a small piece in the late morning and another small piece in the late afternoon. I still had half of a piece left for the next day - as well as the entire rest of the package.

The next morning, Theo became violently ill. Retching. Diarrhea. Lethargic. No appetite. Didn't even want to drink water. He was one sick pup.

When I called the Vet, the first thing she asked was if there had been anything I had fed him that was different. Yes, I said. I gave him some chicken jerky. Milo's Kitchen, I added, so she would know I was giving my dog The Best.

Oh, no, she said. Milo's Kitchen chicken jerky is made in China. There are lots of problems with chicken jerky made in China. The FDA is looking into it.

She told me to give him some rice - only rice - and some plain, nonfat yogurt, plenty of water and nothing else. Just watch him closely and bring him in if his symptoms get worse.

It's taken three days but, thanks be to God, Theo has completely recovered. I have been sick with worry and concern. And, guilt. I mean, I fed it to him. He got sick because of something I did.

Well, not me, but because I trusted a name brand. Got suckered into the "home-style" marketing ploy. Yeah, well, I'm smart enough to know that "home-style" still means "made in a factory". I thought "home" meant, here. In the USA. Where the FDA watches over quality control.

I did some research and discovered that, indeed, the FDA has, in fact, issued a "Preliminary Animal Health Notification".

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to caution consumers of a potential association between the development of illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky products also described as chicken tenders, strips or treats. FDA continues to receive complaints of dogs experiencing illness that their owners or veterinarians associate with consumption of chicken jerky products. The chicken jerky products are imported to the U.S. from China. FDA issued a cautionary warning to consumers in September 2007.

2007! Why didn't I know this? How could I have been so careless? With Mr. Wonderful, for God's sake?!! The FDA report continues:

    Australian news organizations report the University of Sydney is also investigating an association between illness in dogs and the consumption of chicken jerky in Australia. At least one firm in Australia has recalled their chicken jerky product and the recall notification stated the chicken jerky product was manufactured in China.

China. You know. The place where lots of recalls on food, autos, drugs, toys and other products are now notorious.

Please note: This is not a slam on China. This is a slam on companies who continue to do business with China without insisting that they meet standards in this country - especially when the tests are inconclusive but the anecdotal evidence is an overwhelming indicator that something is terribly wrong.

Putting profits over pets is just wrong - in any place in the world. Honest to Pete, this is enough to make me join an organization like PETA.

So, I went to the market and spoke with a lovely gentleman named Charlie at the Service Desk. I had the opened package of Milo's chicken jerky with me. I told him that I didn't want reimbursement. That I took full responsibility for my purchase. I told him what had happened and only ask that the manager consider removing the product from the store shelves. I didn't want any one else to make the same mistake I had made and cause another pet to become ill.

Charlie listened carefully and assured me that he would discuss the problem with the manager, but couldn't promise me that anything would happen as a result. I said I understood. I told him that I was simply making a request. I gave him the package of Milo's chicken jerky along with a print out of the FDA warning, thanked him, and started to leave.

He said, Wait, I'll give you your money back. Oh, I said, you don't need to do that. Yes I do, he said quietly as he scanned the package and gave me my money back.

I came home and then wrote a very polite note to the folks at Del Monte, citing the FDA warning and asking them to please stop procuring chicken jerky from China.

I got a note in reply from them yesterday.

THAT'S when I got angry.



Helpful - 0
462827 tn?1333168952
Part 2:

Here's what it says, in part:

    To date, the FDA, American Veterinarian Medical Association (AVMA) and several animal health diagnostic laboratories in the U.S. have not been able to identify any definitive cause or connection between the illness and treats. The FDA also reports that extensive testing of chicken jerky treats has been conducted, but no contaminant has been found.

No definitive cause or connection. No contaminant has been found.

Move along. Nothing to see here. Move along.

You can bet that if this had happened to a small child, there would be outrage expressed and instant action. But, hey, it's a dog. Only a dog. And, the evidence is not conclusive. Except, that the anecdotal evidence is overwhelming.

Here's what really pulled my last, poor, tired nerve:

    In their notice, the FDA advises consumers that chicken jerky products should not be substituted for a balanced diet and are intended to be fed occasionally in small quantities. On Milo's Kitchen products, we've placed feeding guidelines, based on your dog’s weight, for each product on the package, and advise against exceeding these amounts.

See, it's MY fault. I'm apparently not giving my dog a "balanced diet". I didn't read the "feeding guidelines" and "exceeded the amounts".

Except, in my letter, I specifically noted that I had given one quarter of the treat, twice in one day - well BELOW the "feeding guidelines" on the back of their damn package.

Hell's fury, meet that of a woman scorned.

The bad news is that apparently Del Monte is going to continue to put profits before pets and get their chicken jerky from China.

The good news is that, when I visited my local market yesterday, all the Milo's chicken jerky products were off the shelf. I checked all the packages of all the different brands of jerky and treats that were still on the shelf. None of them said "Made in China". All of them said, "Made in USA".

I swung by the Service Desk and saw Charlie. He immediately grinned when he saw me. Thank you, I said. No problem, he said.

My vet has said that she now has a sign up in her office that warns people not to feed their pets anything that says "Made in China". It also asks people to boycott ALL Milo's Kitchen products in particular and Del Monte products in general until they stop procuring their chicken jerky from China.

She also said that she was working with the Veterinarian's Association to bring the boycott to a national level.

So, I'm appealing to you, dear blog friends, to help me in this.

First of all, please do learn from my mistake. Do not feed your beloved pet anything made in China. Especially Milo's Kitchen chicken jerky.

Please join me in boycotting Del Monte products in general and Milo's Kitchen products in particular. Let your grocer know what you're doing. Ask him/her to remove these products from their shelves.

And, of your mercy and kindness, please do call or write Del Monte and ask them to please stop procuring chicken jerky from China.

You can call their toll-free number, 877-228-6493 M-F, 9-5 Eastern Time.

Or, write to them on their website and leave them a message.

Tell them to please put our pets before their profits and stop the procurement of chicken jerky from China.

I thank you. Mr. Theo the Wonderful dog thanks you.

And now, I'm off to get some recipes for making my own chicken and beef jerky. Home-style - for real. Which I will feed to Mr. Theo in small amounts. As a treat. Not as a replacement for his regular balanced diet.  Because I am a responsible parent of a wonderful dog.

And - most dangerous of all in the market place - an educated consumer who is also an activist.

I'm also a woman scorned. Don't mess with me. Or my dog.

Those of you who know me understand that you don't need the FDA to warn you how dangerous that might be.
Posted by Elizabeth Kaeton at 10:27 AM
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal

Thank you so so much!   This is all so very disturbing and sad.  But, it has opened my eyes completey to what I am feeding my dog. (treats)  

And, I will switch his heartguard medication.  I had even asked my vet about heartguard & she said that would NOT BE something that would raise his liver levels.   Amazing what vets don't tell you!  Can't trust anyone these days.  







Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Try Milk Thistle, which is a natural supplement that helps the liver produce new, healthy cells.  My dog was diagnosed with Hepatitis and was put on this.  In a few months when he was retested, his liver enzymes were perfectly normal and the Hep. was gone.  And yes,  you don't always get the inside scoop from the vets, especially those that don't lean towards some more holistic treatments.  Antibiotics aren't always the answer, in fact, quite often they're not.  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you for your posts. I just had a call from my dogs vet that his routine bloodwork had come back and his ALT was just slightly over the limit. I imediatly went online to see what this was and what I could do so it would come down. I saw your post, luckily! I immediatly checked the bag of chicken jerky I occassionally give my dog,(24 oz bag has lasted since last fall,8 months) it is made in China. Brand is Waggin' Train, advertised as 'wholesome'. I am throwing out the remains. Thank you so much for posting!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
We are also concerned about our Pomapoo puppy,Butler, and his high ALP levels .  We took him to have his undescended testicle removed,  the vet came out and said his liver enzyme was above normal and it was best not to operate as dogs with shunts or MVD disease did not tolerate anesthesia well.  At that time it was 170.  He gave us medicine for a month (Dema???) sorry only the bag had the name but they were in a silver punch card type holder, about 10 to a card.  We took him back, fasting, on the 28th and the ALP had risen to 407.   The vet said we probably should do an ultrasound or biopsy.  The second test was only sampled fasting,and the first was fasting and 2 hrs. After feeding.  Butler is a happy playful 10 month old who is a little picky with eating.  We tried several brands of wet and Prime one dry and Beneful.  Because he was so picky, I started giving him stir-fried top sirloin beef, about 2-4 ounces at about 2 pm., or whenever he comes into the kitchen and tells me he is ready to eat.  It sound expensive, but I can make 14 meals out of 8 dollars worth of shredded stir fry.  I separate it  into skack size bags, and take one out to thaw in the morning.  I  sear it, in a hamburger press grill, it only takes 30-40 seconds.  I cut the strips into bite size pieces with scissors, and he gobbles it up.  He wants nothing in the morning,but walking, playing, doing his tricks and a snooze or two.  After lunch he has his main nap.  He noshes on the crunchy stuff in the evenings and during the night.  He also loves,loves, loves rawhide sticks and he gets about two a day total.  I also give him a bowl of crushed ice, as he doesn't like water too much either.He is not lethargic, and interacts with us all day.  
Helpful - 0
263988 tn?1281954296
Raw hide anything is bad news. Too many dogs end up needing surgery to remove the raw hide from their guts or intestines.

We feed our dogs a raw diet and they do well on it. No cooking and not much measuring needed. Simply remove from the refrigerator and toss in a bowl and feed.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
i've had my 8 year old dog (lab mix) into the vet 2 times in 2 weeks.  He has a history of epilepsy too.  He is on Phenobarbitol, Potassium Bromide, Prenisone, thyroid meds and now antibiotics.  His ALT was 798! (800 over normal) and his ALKP was 1973 (1550 over normal)! They did xrays and didn't see anything.  He is on Wolf King food (Bison & sweet potato).  Any suggestions?  We love him ALOT!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Just got back from the vet had another blood test done on Libby. Everything back to normal.When it was tested in Sept. her ALT was over 400. I had been giving her chicken jerky I bought from Costco made by Kingdom Pets,it's made in China. Lab tech told me one of the other people there had the same problem with her dog and it almost died. BUYER BEWARE !!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Just got back from the vet had another blood test done on Libby. Everything back to normal.When it was tested in Sept. her ALT was over 400. I had been giving her chicken jerky I bought from Costco made by Kingdom Pets,it's made in China. Lab tech told me one of the other people there had the same problem with her dog and it almost died. BUYER BEWARE !!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My dog, a Sheltie, had a liver biopsy that came back with following result:  cirrhosis of the liver.  He had no symptoms.  The only reason we were alerted to the fact that something was amiss was because of the results of his semi-annual ALT test.  After receiving a bleak outlook for my dog and a recommendation that he be placed on steroids, I did some research on the internet and found an ebook written by Cyndi Smasal entitled Hope for Healing Liver Disease in Your Dog.  Rather than go the steroid route, I followed Cyndi's plan and, after just a few months, my dog's levels were back to normal.  I highly recommend Cyndi's ebook.  Apparently, by the time a dog with liver cirrhosis shows symptoms, it is late in the game, meaning that the disease has already overtaken 75% or more of his liver.   The best course of action is to change the diet and add supplements BEFORE the symptoms appear.  The damaged part of the liver with cirrhosis can't be reversed, but a change of diet along with supplements can help prevent further damage.  Preventing further damage is the key.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My dog, a Sheltie, had a liver biopsy that came back with following result:  cirrhosis of the liver.  He had no symptoms.  The only reason we were alerted to the fact that something was amiss was because of the results of his semi-annual ALT test.  After receiving a bleak outlook for my dog and a recommendation that he be placed on steroids, I did some research on the internet and found an ebook written by Cyndi Smasal entitled Hope for Healing Liver Disease in Your Dog.  Rather than go the steroid route, I followed Cyndi's plan and, after just a few months, my dog's levels were back to normal.  I highly recommend Cyndi's ebook.  Apparently, by the time a dog with liver cirrhosis shows symptoms, it is late in the game, meaning that the disease has already overtaken 75% or more of his liver.   The best course of action is to change the diet and add supplements BEFORE the symptoms appear.  The damaged part of the liver with cirrhosis can't be reversed, but a change of diet along with supplements can help prevent further damage.  Preventing further damage is the key.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have read all the comments about liver disease and I have been working with our vet for two years. Our vet has been very good about both natural and medication.
All her levels except the ALT have gone back to normal. Our vet wants to eventually get her off the medication and just keep her on the natural supplements.
Our dog is not a treat dog, she considers carrots (raw) the biggest treat in the world, but we are looking for other foods that we can give her both in dog food and in what we can make ourselves. But when I look online or ask which are the best I get conflicting answers.
Her ALT levels were not as high as the ones posted and she has never showed any signs or symptoms so we you like to know food wise what we can add or remove from her diet.
Thanks.
A.
Helpful - 0
462827 tn?1333168952
Hi Amanda.....How old is your dog & what are you FEEDING now? What has she eaten in the past? What supplements has she been on? Any medication from the Vet?
We need more information....Thanks, Karla
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Avatar universal
I took my 9 year old Rat Terrier in for a routine check up about 5 weeks ago, and his ALT levels were at 300. The vet said to come back and recheck in 10 days, because they had sprayed pesticide on our grass that day, and he thought that might have caused it. When we returned, his ALT had jumped to over 500. He suggested changing his food and monitoring him to make sure he wasn't getting into anything (which he wasn't). On the next visit it had jumped to over 900 with still no idea what was going on from the vet, and all he offered was some milk thistle. Meanwhile, I am freaking out, researching possible causes and going into near panic mode while they are beating around the bush, playing guessing games. I understand it is a tough diagnosis, but being really unhappy with the lacking sense of urgency while my dog's life hangs in the balance (among other reasons), I went to a new vet.

On his last visit, it had gone down to 800, after 10 days on the milk thistle with adenosyl (which I found online for $20.99 after paying $64 plus tax at the first vet) so this is still very alarming. We are doing a biopsy Thursday, and I'm near the point of an emotional breakdown, mainly because he is the pickiest eater on earth, even turns his nose up at high quality meat much of the time, and I cannot get him to eat the liver diet dog food, or even the home made version that my vet had me cook. Now he will barely eat anything at all. I think the milk thistle pills - which have added ingredients - upset his stomach. He doesn't show any signs of being sick other than an apparent stomach ache whenever I give him that pill, he is happy and running around the place, except that he won't eat anything other than the liver wurst that we now hide his pills in. He won't even eat cheese - his former favorite thing!!

We did an ultrasound weeks ago, and they didn't find any cancer or tumor, they just said that his liver was very small and inflamed, and that his kidneys were also inflamed. They are stumped. The original vet wants to do a test where they inject dye into the liver and look for a shunt. If they found one, from what I understand, the chances of fixing it are not very good, so that seems like kind of a last resort option. Biopsy first. We've already spent over $800 and the biopsy is going to be around $600. I am a full time student, so between the cost and the fact that I can't focus in school because I'm worried sick over my baby, this is absolutely killing me. They can't figure out what's wrong, I can't get him to eat anything that's good for him, and all the while his poor little organs have been inflamed for well over a month!  He used to eat chicken jerky snacks like crazy, but he hasn't had any in like 5 months, and he used to eat Science Diet, back when he was eating his dog food. Other than that, the only thing that has changed is that we switched him from Heartguard to Trifexis about 7 months ago. I read some horror stories about Trifexis recently (I don't know what to believe anymore -I feel like nothing is safe to give him)!  He won't touch any natural brands of dog food I've tried to give him, like Blue Buffalo.

Can anyone offer any advice / suggestions?? Anything is appreciated, thank you!!  
Helpful - 0
462827 tn?1333168952
Hello  Brkawy...
Everything you have listed can cause Liver Damage &/or Kidney Damage! The Chicken Jerky Treats have been poisoning dogs for a few years now! This is well known & been publicized many many times with alerts, cautions, complaints, etc.!
Science Diet is an extremely low quality food & without proper nutrition, no animal's organs can function correctly.....

Your lawn chemicals can do serious damage because they are absorbed through the feet, so make sure you rinse his feet on a regular basis.....

IMO, Trifexis is extremely dangerous because it's a combination product! Too Strong & not worth the risk! There are alarming #'s of complaints about Liver failure & this product...There is actually a whole Facebook page called: "Trifexis Kills Dogs" if you want more information from other owners....

Let me know what you think........Karla
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Avatar universal
Hey,
My dog is almost 9 years.
We are on the food the vet recommended which is good for her teeth and her liver. She has been on it for 3 years.
The meds she is on are the ones that the vet has chosen one is all natural which supports the liver and the other is to help repair the damage already done.
With these two meds all her liver counts with the exception of the ALT have returned to normal. Her ALT is noted at 225 as of last week. That is down from previous counts.
We have taken her off any food with preservatives and that is processed. As many people have told us both online, the vets and other people that we have met with dogs with liver problems.
Because everything we have learned and found we know that there are some raw veggies and cheeses that are good for her we are now making some of her meals and mixing it in a bit with her dry food at dinner time in hopes that it will help.
Our vet is really good in the fact that when she found the liver problem she changed every type of medication that she gets and even looked into the needles to make sure that they wouldn't affect the liver.
She also suggest the Benny's Bullies as a possible treat for her (which is a liver one) which she does like but we have check to make sure that is didn't come from China. That is the first thing that we looks at with any food for her.
I just would like to know if there are any foods that we can buy that will help promote liver function that way when she is tested again we can hope for a better result.
Any suggestions would be great.
A.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Karla - yes, I  saw the Trifexis  Facebook page,  and I  got him right off of it and switched him back to Heartguard,  which he has been on his whole life.  I'm hoping that one is safer...? He hasn't had the chicken jerky in about 5  months -  ever since I went to pick some up and realized they'd been pulled from all the shelves, locally. I  went online and read about it,  and I couldn't believe how long it's been known that they were dangerous,  all while my dogs were still  eating them!  About 5  years!  I'm hoping they haven't caused issues over time,  though it seems like in most cases dogs had pretty immediate reactions to them.  Our vet just put him on special liver diet dog food. I  think it's called  Hill's L/D.  They told me you can only get it through a vet's  office,  and it was $60.  Isn't  Hill's  the company that makes  Science  Diet though??  I'm so frustrated!

@Amanda466 -  what kind of food (brand) has your vet had your dog on for the past 3  years? Maybe I just need to hit up a natural food store and see if they have anything  that specifically promotes healthy liver function.  Unless anyone knows of anything offhand?

Thanks
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hey,
My dog hs been on the food that your vet has just placed your dog on. We noticed that she like the larger bits compared to the small bites which is good because it promoted her chewing more because her teeth are not the best. As she is a small dog the bag that is the smaller bag lasts her about 3 months as we also for dinner give her veggies and other foods that are good for dogs.
I am just wondering what foods I can give her that will promote the liver function.
I have found that if you want healthy then youend up spending less if you give you dog veggies and chicken that you cook up yourself. Becasue the speciality food sometimes cost more then what you can cook up yourslf.
A.
Helpful - 0
462827 tn?1333168952
Brkawy....Here's a link about the LD Canned (Couldn't find the dry).....It may be helpful....Make sure you read the consumer reviews under the article......There will be information you need to read...Here's the link:

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/hills-prescription-diet-ld-canned/

Karla
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