Dog with liver diesease won't eat?

Question

Our cocker was just diaganosed with multiple extrahepatic shunts. The extent of the liver damage is pending and are on some meds for her. She is doing pretty well, but is very fussy now on eating. She needs a low protein diet, but does not like the Hill's liver diet anymore, dry or canned. She likes certain treats and we have tried a few additives. When at the Vet hospital (OSU) they tried several things, but little success. Any ideas on what to do?

Answer 1

she really needs to be on a prescription liver diet. If she absolutley refuses to eat hills ask if you can try another brand (purina, royal canin, waltham all have prescription diet lines). Also you can try to make the canned food more appealing by warming it up in the microwave. Put some on a plate or in a bowl and microwave till warm. Make sure you mix it and test it with your fingers (like you would baby food) so that she doesn't come across any really hot spots in the food. This technique can entice sick animals to eat. Another thing is that with liver disease toxins can build up in their blood an make them not want to eat. Ask the vets before you feed her anything besides the prescription diet. She needs to be on a low protein diet, because since her liver is not functioning properly, the more protien you give her the more ammonia can accumulate (cuz the protien is not being converted properly to nontoxic compounds). This will make her feel sick and can lead to neurologic problems. If you are being seen at a vet hospital you are being seen by experts in the field. Good luck.

Answer 2

As a short term fix, many "Large Breed Puppy" foods have very low protien, to help with the hip/joint problems these dogs are prone to. It comes in dry and small cans. I needed it for my dogs dysplasia, and they all (3 dogs) loved it. Good Luck. PS It is on the expensive side, but hey, they're all worth it right??? : )

Answer 3

keep on going to diffrent vets untill you get a cure