Does your dog or cat have liver problems?
This is a very common condition and can have concerning consequences. The liver is a vital organ for the health and well-being of your furry friend. Responsible for many crucial functions in the body, including fat digestion, bile production, and detoxification, the liver requires special attention to keep your loyal four-legged friend in great shape.
However, just like humans, dogs and cats can suffer from liver problems. But don't worry, there are great natural solutions that can help maintain your furry child's liver health without bombarding them with medications.
In this article, we will discuss the most common liver problems in dogs and cats and suggest the most effective natural remedies.
They are easy to use and are a boon for the entire body.
Are you ready? You are about to discover how to naturally support your dog or cat's liver health.
First of all, it is crucial to be informed about the common symptoms that may indicate a liver problem.
Symptoms of liver diseases to watch for.
The liver plays a crucial role in the digestion and metabolism of your four-legged friend. If it is not functioning properly, they may lose their appetite or vomit. If your dog or cat suddenly seems disinterested in food or eats much less than usual, it could be a sign of a liver problem.
Increased thirst and urination: if they are drinking more water than usual and urinating more frequently, it could be a sign of a liver problem.
Weight loss: if you notice significant weight loss without an apparent cause, it may be related to a liver problem.
Lethargy and apathy: The liver is responsible for producing important proteins and hormones. If the liver is sick, your beloved furry child may appear lethargic or apathetic. They sleep more, play less, and seem less energetic during daily activities.
Icterus (jaundice): a more obvious symptom of a liver problem is the appearance of a yellowish coloration in the skin, the sclera of the eyes, and the gums.
It is often a sign of liver or gallbladder disease. Jaundice occurs when bilirubin, a waste product from the normal breakdown of red blood cells, accumulates in the blood. This can be caused by various issues, such as a blockage of the bile ducts or liver damage.
If you notice yellowing in the skin or eyes, contact the veterinarian immediately.
Dark urine and grayish stools: Jaundice can also cause dark urine and grayish or discolored stools in your pet. This is also due to the buildup of bilirubin and requires immediate veterinary consultation.
Unfortunately, neither young four-legged friends nor older ones are immune to liver diseases.
But what are these diseases and what can we do to fight them?
The triggering causes are various and still not perfectly understood, such as reactions to viruses, medications, leptospirosis, or the cumulative effect of environmental toxins.
Here is a list of the most common diseases:
Viral hepatitis
Viral hepatitis is one of the most common liver diseases in our furry friends. The most frequent viruses causing hepatitis in dogs are adenovirus and parvovirus. Symptoms include jaundice, loss of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Of particular note is chronic hepatitis caused by excessive copper accumulation in the liver. This is a congenital defect in copper metabolism. The increased copper deposit in liver cells triggers chronic inflammation of the liver. Certain dog breeds such as the Bedlington Terrier, Labrador Retriever, Skye Terrier, West Highland White Terrier, and Dalmatian are particularly affected.
Natural supplements like silymarin, betaine, and flaxseed may help protect and regenerate liver cells.
Deficiency of clotting factors:
If the liver does not produce enough clotting factors or if the body uses more, the dog may suffer from a clotting disorder (coagulopathy). As a result, in the event of bleeding, the bleeding does not stop: in the worst case, the dog could die from blood loss. A typical example is poisoning from coumarin caused by the ingestion of rat poison.
Jaundice: Jaundice (icterus) is not a standalone disease but rather a symptom. It is caused by an increase in bile pigments in the blood. It manifests as yellow-orange deposits in the mucous membranes and the sclera of the eye. Veterinarians distinguish the causes of this symptom depending on whether there is a disease in front of, behind, or within the liver itself.
The hepatic shunt: Also known as portosystemic, it is an anatomical defect of the liver, usually congenital. In this case, blood does not flow through the liver but passes directly through a vessel (shunt) into the main vein. This way, on one hand, the liver lacks important nutrients, and on the other, toxic substances like ammonia are not broken down.
This prevents the liver from performing its normal metabolic and detoxification functions.
Symptoms include poor growth, lethargy, and neurological disorders. Silymarin, resveratrol, zinc, and B vitamins can improve liver blood flow and support cell regeneration.
Hepatic lipidosis or hepatic steatosis
It occurs when fats accumulate in liver cells. It is more common in cats and is often related to obesity and diet. Silymarin, milk thistle, and betaine may help reduce inflammation, improve liver function, and burn fat.
Gallstones:
Gallstones form in the gallbladder or bile ducts and can cause obstruction, inflammation, and infection.
They are more common in cats. Natural supplements like flaxseeds can help improve bile flow, reduce inflammation, and prevent stone formation.
Liver cirrhosis:
Degenerative liver disease. Liver cirrhosis is the final stage of chronic liver disease. As a consequence of permanent damage, scar tissue forms. This tissue spreads throughout the liver causing circulatory disturbances and further functional damage.
Unfortunately, this is an irreversible condition.
🐕 Dog breeds predisposed to liver problems
1️⃣ Dobermann
🩺 Risk: Chronic hepatitis (Copper hepatopathy)
📌 Some Dobermanns may accumulate excessive amounts of copper in the liver, causing inflammation and progressive liver damage.
2️⃣ Labrador Retriever
🩺 Risk: Copper storage hepatopathy
📌 This breed is predisposed to toxic copper accumulation in the liver, which can lead to chronic hepatitis and liver failure.
3️⃣ West Highland White Terrier
🩺 Risk: Copper hepatopathy and hepatic fibrosis
📌 The liver may develop chronic inflammation due to copper accumulation, resulting in progressive degeneration.
4️⃣ English and American Cocker Spaniel
🩺 Risk: Idiopathic chronic hepatitis
📌 This breed is prone to developing chronic hepatitis on a genetic basis without apparent causes.
5️⃣ Bedlington Terrier
🩺 Risk: Copper storage disease
📌 A genetic predisposition leads to toxic copper accumulation in the liver, causing severe liver damage.
6️⃣ Yorkshire Terrier
🩺 Risk: Congenital portosystemic shunt
📌 This hereditary condition causes blood to bypass the liver, preventing proper detoxification.
7️⃣ Maltese
🩺 Risk: Portosystemic shunt
📌 Similar to the Yorkshire Terrier, it may be born with abnormalities in the hepatic blood vessels.
8️⃣ Dogue de Bordeaux
🩺 Risk: Hepatic lipidosis and liver failure
📌 Predisposition to hepatic metabolic disorders, often related to diet and genetics.
9️⃣ Miniature Schnauzer
🩺 Risk: Hyperlipidemia and hepatic cholestasis
📌 This breed can develop fat accumulation in the liver, causing problems with digestion and metabolism.
🔟 Border Collie
🩺 Risk: Bile acid deficiency and congenital hepatopathy
📌 May have issues with bile salt metabolism, causing progressive liver disorders.
🐈 Cat breeds predisposed to liver problems
1️⃣ Siamese
🩺 Risk: Feline hepatic lipidosis
📌 This breed is particularly prone to developing feline hepatic lipidosis, a serious condition that affects the liver when the cat suddenly stops eating.
2️⃣ Burmese
🩺 Risk: Cholangiohepatitis
📌 Prone to cholangiohepatitis (inflammation of the liver and bile ducts), one of the main liver diseases in cats.
3️⃣ Maine Coon
🩺 Risk: Metabolic liver diseases
📌 This breed, in addition to having a predisposition to heart problems, may be subject to liver diseases related to metabolic dysfunctions.
4️⃣ Persian
🩺 Risk: Polycystic liver diseases and cholangiohepatitis
📌 Tends to develop polycystic liver diseases, a condition in which cysts form in the liver, in addition to being predisposed to cholangiohepatitis.
5️⃣ Abyssinian and Somali
🩺 Risk: Hepatic amyloidosis
📌 Susceptible to hepatic amyloidosis, a hereditary disease that leads to the accumulation of abnormal proteins in the liver, causing liver failure.
6️⃣ Scottish Fold
🩺 Risk: Genetic liver diseases
📌 Due to possible genetic anomalies, it may be more sensitive to liver diseases compared to other breeds.
7️⃣ British Shorthair
🩺 Risk: Hepatic lipidosis and slow metabolism
📌 It can develop liver problems related to obesity and slow metabolism, increasing the risk of hepatic lipidosis.
When it comes to liver problems, veterinarians usually prescribe traditional treatments that may include medications to reduce inflammation, antibiotics to fight infections, and special low-protein and low-fat diets.
However, more and more owners of our beloved four-legged friends are seeking natural solutions as an alternative or supplement to traditional treatments.
To be honest, we have noticed a shift in trend among veterinarians who are increasingly leaning towards natural alternatives because they can be excellent substitutes or valid aids to classic therapies.
Phytotherapy can be a valuable aid in countering, and in some ways preventing, these liver issues, especially in older dogs and cats, possibly affected by some degree of obesity.
The benefits of using natural remedies for liver problems in dogs and cats.
Natural remedies provide a myriad of benefits for treating liver problems. One of the main advantages is that they often have fewer side effects compared to traditional medications.
Moreover, they help support and promote liver functions as a whole, rather than just treating the symptoms.
Among the numerous active ingredients used for liver problems, here is a selection of the most powerful and effective remedies to restore liver function, support the liver in cases of chronic kidney failure, and maintain liver health in general.
Milk Thistle
Thanks to its properties, it has been used since ancient times for the treatment of liver disorders and to aid digestion.
It is known for its hepatoprotective, digestive, purifying, and detoxifying properties, attributed
primarily to the silymarin present in milk thistle.
What are the hepatoprotective properties of milk thistle due to?
These effects are due to the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and regenerative properties of silymarin, which neutralizes free radicals, promotes antioxidant defenses, and blocks the inflammatory process, thereby protecting liver cells (1).
Silymarin also promotes detoxification and reduces fat accumulation in the liver,
ensuring regular functionality. Milk thistle is used in cases of organic and functional distress of the liver.
Betaine
Betaine is a natural substance extracted from sugar beets that exerts a hepatoprotective and lipotropic action against fatty liver.
This means that betaine protects the liver, combats fat accumulation in the liver, and promotes the expulsion of metabolized toxins through bile.
Additionally, betaine helps reduce levels of fatty acids, particularly triglycerides, in the blood. Traditionally, betaine is used in conjunction with B vitamins such as vitamin B6, vitamin B9, and vitamin B12, all of which are useful in controlling homocysteine levels.
Betaine is the subject of over 6789 scientific publications (2).
Vitamin D
Vitamin D prevents fatty liver disease. It has been shown to modulate inflammation and liver fibrogenesis, playing an important role in various metabolic and inflammatory processes.
Vitamin D may have a protective effect on the liver. (3)
Zinc picolinate
It is primarily located in the liver. Zinc is an essential mineral for the life and health of your four-legged friend. It promotes the physiological elimination of toxins, waste, and pathogens, in addition to being a valuable antioxidant.
In particular, the picolinate form is particularly bioavailable and easier to absorb compared to common zinc. (4)
Resveratrol
Resveratrol is a natural substance belonging to the polyphenol family found in grapes; it is one of the most powerful antioxidants known today that supports liver health and prevents disorders. It can also restore the liver's regulatory function in glucose metabolism.
Research has shown that resveratrol can provide protection against damage caused by chemical exposure, an essential consideration since your four-legged friend’s liver is often subjected to numerous contaminants from food as well as air pollution (5).
Vitamin B complex (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B8, B9, B12)
B vitamins are essential to avoid health problems, particularly for the nervous system and the normal functioning of the liver.
They can be used to treat fatty liver disease as they slow down its progression and liver fibrosis. (6)
Flaxseeds
They are a true treasure trove of macronutrients like fatty acids, fiber, and proteins. They are rich in alpha-linolenic acid, effective in protecting the body from cardiovascular diseases and some inflammatory-neurodegenerative diseases.
Effective against fatty liver because they counteract inflammation in the liver and prevent fatty liver disease from turning into steatohepatitis, a more dangerous problem than fatty liver because it can lead to liver cirrhosis. (7)
Patience and consistency are key when using natural remedies for liver issues.
We want to leave you with the story of Ulisse, a 5-year-old Labrador Retriever, to show you how the effectiveness of natural remedies is indeed proven for liver problems.
Ulisse had been suffering from liver problems for several years and had not seen significant improvements with traditional treatments. He had lost vitality, his eyes looked sad and tired, he was eating much less, and in his owner's eyes, he was becoming skin and bones.
However, after trying traditional therapies, Marta, his owner, became convinced to use natural remedies like milk thistle combined with other natural extracts and a specific diet for liver health.
After a few days, Ulisse showed significant improvements. Day by day, his energy returned, he regained weight, and his symptoms significantly reduced.
Ulisse is now a happy dog and continues his therapy with natural supplements to maintain liver health and prevent possible deterioration.
Conclusions
So, to summarize, the liver is a very important organ for your four-legged friend's health. There are many common liver issues that can affect dogs and cats, such as hepatitis and fatty liver disease.
Fortunately, there are excellent natural remedies available to you that are effective and safe for treating liver problems.
Noble ingredients like milk thistle, betaine, vitamin D, zinc picolinate, resveratrol, B vitamins, and flaxseeds not only reduce side effects but also help promote overall healthy liver function.
With a combination of natural remedies, a proper diet, and lifestyle changes, you will help your inseparable furry child overcome liver problems and return to a happy and healthy life.
Click here to improve your four-legged friend's liver health!
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EMA/HMPC/294188/2013
(2) – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Betaine%5BTitle%2FAbstract%5D
(3) – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36142636/
– https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1542356522000751
(4) – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3491241/
(5) – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33805795/
(6) – https://www.journal-of-hepatology.eu/article/S0168-8278(22)02932-4/fulltext
(7) – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27220557/
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