Hi Heather,

I was going over some mail and saw yours and wondering how your dog is doing? I 
recently got some Milk Thistle as has always been a good liver cleanser, so 
thinking that should do it as well as CS for any viruses or bacteria. 

Leslie
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Heather King (LCA) 
  To: '[email protected]' 
  Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2007 10:54 AM
  Subject: CS>Elevated liver enzymes in a dog


  Hi All,

   

  My beloved Andy is a 10 year old double-merle border collie who has recently 
had his second geriatric blood panel done. I was looking to ease his arthritis 
with a prescription NSAID, but when the panel came back with all 4 of the 
enzyme levels high (2 were moderate last year), we couldn't do the 
anti-inflammatory after all. So, we opted to try a month on Sam-E and Milk 
Thistle, and the numbers have gone down, but not very much. The vet is 
recommending an ultrasound & biopsy. So I guess I have a few questions:

   

  Does CS do much for the liver? Anyone have a dog whose liver recovered with 
remedies other than drug therapy? Anything particularly effective? Should I be 
expecting better results with the Sam-E than I'm getting? (I was told it would 
help with joint pain and help detox the liver...). He hasn't been diagnosed 
with Hepatitis; the doc just described it as similar to cirrhosis or weakening. 
I don't understand that, really...

   

  Perhaps I'm hesitant to do the biopsy because I had a dog who was living with 
cancer diagnosed, but then I opted for the biopsy, which seemed to "awaken" the 
cancer cells in the tumor so that it exploded in growth and I had to put the 
dog down much sooner than expected. Not looking to repeat that.

   

  And last but not least: any thoughts on a diet that a liver-sick dog will 
eat? He turns his nose up at nearly everything these days. Frustrating...

   

  Thanks for any advice.

  Heather