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Sun Aug 24, 2008 7:17 pm  |
Hi all,
Yesterday, I found our family dog, an almost 6 yr old Beagle boy has an abnormally high level of sodium, meaning his pH is off a tad, making him drink tons of water and having to go potty a lot, and to put the cherry on top of everything, he has high liver enzyme levels...So I'm not sure what all this means, the vet prescribed a wk's supply of antibiotics and told me to give him SAMe + Vit E capsules....He will be going back to the Vet in 2wks for more tests.
So I went to Whole Foods and bought the SAMe and I have some Vit E in the cupboard; however, I just was wondering if anybody on here had some input on this...This is all so new to me. I googled SAMe and it seems okay to give our dog. Any info/experiences would be much appreciated!!! I really want our beagle live a healthy long life. He really is the cutest thing ever, and I'm sure other dog/pet owners know what I'm feeling!!! |
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Mon Aug 25, 2008 11:42 am |
My experience is not quite the same as yours, but I can certainly sympathize. Our 10 yr old Maltese, Oliver, has kidney problems. We have to go in for blood work frequently and he is on a homeopathic medicine that I add to his food once daily. 2 blood checks ago, his liver enzymes were very high. He'd never had any liver problems. The vet put him on Clavamox in case it was an infection and, lo and behold, when we rechecked the blood work 2 wks later, everything was normal. So I hope your dog only has an infection that clears up with the meds he's taking.
In case he has to be on long-term meds, you may want to look into homeopathic medicines if it's appropriate for your dog. The homeopathic renal support that Oliver has been taking has helped his kidneys tremendously. His BUN and creatinine levels were previously well above normal, and on the meds he's back in the normal to high-normal range. I know that the company also makes a medication for hepatic support.
I hope everything works out for you and your baby! |
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Mon Aug 25, 2008 12:03 pm |
Hi
My dog had a liver problem. I had to keep him on a special tinned dog food that could only be bought from the vet - as it had no copper in it. Apparently copper upset my dog's liver function. Copper is normally added to dog food in vitamin form as I believe it help nerves etc. In addition to the tinned dog food I was also allowed to feed him on chicken or fish which I bought frozen and cooked for him specially and mixed it with boiled rice to add some bulk.
Sam was 12 when he was diagnosed with liver problems and he lived a happy and healthy life for another two and a half years. |
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Mon Aug 25, 2008 12:47 pm |
SAM-E is good for the liver - I've been giving it to my dogs for various things over the past few years. Giving it to one for age-related neurological stuff right now, along with some other things.
Milk thistle is another "natural" thing you can try - it is supposed to be calming/cleansing for the liver.
And I'm so glad to hear of a vet offering up "alternative" ways to heal a problem instead of immediately going the pharmaceutical route.
Good luck! |
_________________
50, oily & not a lot of wrinkles (yet), melasma and hormonal acne cysts & breakouts |
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Mon Aug 25, 2008 5:09 pm |
| gellys, I don't have anything to offer for liver problems, other than doing research on the internet and listening to your vet. I LOVE beagles, have 2 myself right now and won't ever be without one. Hope everything goes well for your beagle boy! |
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Mon Aug 25, 2008 11:56 pm |
Thanks everyone for all the advice and concerns. Yes, I'm really hoping we can get our little beagle into better shape. I will do more research and also see what the next steps are after the other tests are performed in 2 wks. I will definitely have to look into milk thistle.
Rileygirl~Beagles are truly the cutest little things ever!!! Are yours tri-colored? Do they love to howl? And on another note, do they love to eat? I'm really trying to find out if it's just our beagle that loves food or if it's his liver issue that may be causing this problem. But yay for beagles! |
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Tue Aug 26, 2008 7:30 am |
| gellys wrote: |
| Rileygirl~Beagles are truly the cutest little things ever!!! Are yours tri-colored? Do they love to howl? And on another note, do they love to eat? I'm really trying to find out if it's just our beagle that loves food or if it's his liver issue that may be causing this problem. But yay for beagles! |
Yes, mine are tri colored. I love everything about them - howling and all!  No, you are not alone. All Beagles LOVE their food, which can lead to weight problems (I am sure you know this!). I agree, Yeah for Beagles!! Keep us posted on how your boy is getting along. |
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Tue Aug 26, 2008 9:23 am |
| Annie B wrote: |
In case he has to be on long-term meds, you may want to look into homeopathic medicines if it's appropriate for your dog.
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Totally agree here. My sister's dog was dx with leukemia a while back. At that time, the longest their vet had known any dog to live with that particular kind was 9 months. He went almost two years with the help of homeopathic medicines!
I have Chihuahuas now, but had a Beagle growing up and yes, they're GREAT dogs! Rambunctious and energy enough for ten dogs but sweet and loyal. As for eating? He eat everything...didn't have to be food either. He ate one of my chapsticks, a couple record covers, puzzle pieces...etc. |
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Wed Aug 27, 2008 6:56 pm |
| My Spike has a under active throyid and is on meds and the last 2 blood tests showed high liver enzymes. We feed him holistic food and the next test just 2 weeks ago showed normal levels. So it could have been that his system was just out of wack humans that take meds for cholesterol can sometimes have elevated liver enzymes Lipitor can cause this it just depends on the body and how it absorbs things. I hope he gets to feeling better |
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Turned 50 in Feb 09 skin looks and feels like early 40's use SS everyday and oil free foundation. Normal/combo sensative skin WHAT A COMBO |
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Wed Sep 24, 2008 6:00 pm |
Hi All,
For those who have been following this thread, thank you for your concerns. I thought I would update b/c I just want dog lovers everywhere to know as much as possible especially when it comes to your dog's health.
My 6 year old beagle will be going in for 'exploratory surgery' on Monday morning. His ultrasound didn't show any liver shunts; however, his elevated numbers on his liver indicate 'shunt' to the surgeon. So the surgeon will go in and see what's going on, and she says surgery will be better if the shunt is outside the liver rather than inside the liver, and if she sees multiple shunts, she will just stitch him up w/o performing surgery on those shunts.
I will continue to update because if this info is helpful to somebody down the line, then I would be happy. Please keep our little dog in your prayers! And if anybody has any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. This is a very stressful situation for our family, but we are praying and hoping for the very best. And again, thanks everyone for your well wishes and advice! |
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Wed Sep 24, 2008 6:06 pm |
Gellys,
Good luck to you and your dog.
We will keep you in our thoughts and prayers.
Please, let us know how he is doing on Monday. |
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Early 50s, Skin: combin.,semi-sensitive, fair with occasional breakouts, some old acne scars, freckles, under-eye wrinkles; Redhead with hazel eyes |
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Wed Sep 24, 2008 8:59 pm |
| gellys, I am so sorry your dog has to go through this. I will be praying for the best. Please keep us updated. |
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Thu Sep 25, 2008 8:20 am |
| Good luck with the op. I'll be hoping and praying that all goes well for your wee boy. |
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Tue Oct 14, 2008 1:41 am |
For those who have followed this thread, our dog did not go into surgery as planned. The day before his surgery we had an emergency situation occur, so we had to postpone his surgery. The funny thing is that now we think it's almost like 'divine intervention' if any of you believe.
Our family had been praying for weeks before his surgery date, and praying that his surgery will be successful and he will live a long healthy, happy life, and of course asking for God's help along the way. Then, next thing you know this emergency happens exactly the day before his surgery.
Our little beagle has been clinically fine really doing quite well. You couldn't tell from his demeanor that he has a liver problem/possible liver shunt.
Any of you experienced something like this? Almost as if you feel it's a 'sign' from God not to do something??? Please don't think me or my family is crazy, it's just that we love our dog so very much. Our beagle is absolutely so precious and a part of our family that we want the best for him. I know some of you on here can relate to me/my family.
Any suggestions/advice regarding this matter would be much appreciated...We know that surgery is an option, but we aren't completely sure if it's the right option at this point. |
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Wed Oct 15, 2008 1:17 am |
gellys, that is great that your beagle is not showing any clinical signs of liver problems.
Have you thought about seeing another vet/specialist, and getting their opinion? That is really all I can offer. Maybe that would help you figure out if surgery is "right" or not?
(Have you changed anything that you are doing, diet, etc?) |
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Wed Oct 15, 2008 6:42 pm |
Hi Rileygirl,
Thanks for the reponse. We did get a 2nd opinion from a Vet Hospital and both agree that surgery is the best method to possibly fix the liver problem. It's now just a matter of rescheduling his appointment, but also mentally preparing for success rather than the latter.
It's just such a hard decision because he is not symptomatic, but we know that something is wrong with his liver. So we really hope exploratory surgery will help him live a longer healthy life. |
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Wed Oct 15, 2008 7:20 pm |
Gellys, are his labs still abnormal?
Boy, that is a hard call if he is asymptomatic. I can certainly understand your dilemma.
All I can say is follow your gut; I think you guys will "know" the right thing to do. I wish your pup and you all the best. Please keep us updated. |
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Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:35 am |
| gellys - I'm sending good thoughts for your little guy's surgery. It's tough to go through and especially so if you don't really know what's going on. Hoping that it is successful and you get the answers you need. |
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