LIVER DISEASE IN DOGS, SYMPTOMS, CAUSES & REMEDIES

Last Updated on January 26, 2024 by Thee Puppypreneur

WHAT IS THE LIVER RESPONSIBLE FOR 

Liver disease in dogs can be caused for a variety of different reasons but first lets find out what the liver does exactly.

• The liver is responsible for many functions such as metabolism, vitamin and mineral storage, and detoxification.  
• The liver is closely related to the pancreas and the small intestine especially functionally, so it is not unheard of that when one organ is affected the others are usually affected too. 
• Remember that whatever you give your dog has to be processed through the liver. This is not limited to food, but the toxins from medications or vitamins that are fat-soluble are absorbed in the liver as well. 
• The liver also has the tremendous ability to regenerate after injury. ¹Michalopoulos, G. K., & DeFrances, M. C. (1997). Liver regeneration. Science (New York, N.Y.), 276(5309), 60–66. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.276.5309.60  

 In a study where 2/3 of a rat’s liver was removed this triggered a response to regenerate, similar to wound healing. ²Michalopoulos G. K. (2007). Liver regeneration. Journal of cellular physiology, 213(2), 286–300. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcp.21172   

CAUSES OF LIVER DISEASE IN DOGS 

The list for causes of liver disease in dogs is exhaustive and these are just some examples of things that may have caused or can contribute to liver disease in dogs. 

• Chronic hepatitis 
• Copper storage issues (build up copper through life) 
• Congenital (born with) 
• Tumors (malignant or benign) 
• Histoplasmosis (fungal spores from bird/bat dropping) 
• Leptospirosis (bacteria from standing water) 
• Adenovirus (hepatitis spread from dog urine, nose and eyes of infected) 
• Bartonella (cat scratch fever spread from fleas, ticks, lice and sand flies) 
• Chronic toxicity from medications 
• Biliary disease 
• Toxicities; fungicides, insecticides, aflatoxins, blue-green algae ³Sebbag L, Smee N, van der Merwe D, Schmid D. Liver failure in a dog following suspected ingestion of blue-green algae (Microcystis spp.): a case report and review of the toxin. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2013 Sep-Oct;49(5):342-6. doi: 10.5326/JAAHA-MS-5913. Epub 2013 Jul 16. PMID: 23861261. Liver failure in a dog following suspected ingestion of blue-green algae (Microcystis spp.): a case report and review of the toxin – PubMed (nih.gov)  like Spirulina ⁴Spirulina – LiverTox – NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)  

Your veterinarian will need to determine whether the hepatopathy (liver disease) is primary or secondary.  

Typically, if the cause is secondary then once the underlying cause is treated the problem should resolve on its own.  

Keep in mind this is not always 100% the case.  

SYMPTOMS OF LIVER DISEASE IN DOGS 

Below are some of the most common symptoms of liver disease in dogs.

• Jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes) 
• Vomiting 
• Ulcers 
• Blood clotting disorders 
• Fever 
• Abdominal Pain 
• Anorexia 
• Ascites (fluid buildup in abdomen) 
• Diarrhea  

HOW IS LIVER DISEASE IN DOGS DIAGNOSED 

• Physical examination 
• CBC 
• Serum Chemistry 
• Urinalysis 
• Ultrasound 
• Radiographs 
• Biopsy  

WHAT IS THE TREATMENT FOR LIVER DISEASE IN DOGS 

Depending on the diagnosis and cause, the treatment for liver disease in dogs will determine what options are available for you.  

Diet modification is a must in cases of liver disease in dogs. You will likely want to transition from kibble to fresh home-cooked food if you can.  

You want to support the liver with good quality protein but not high protein. Your dog’s diet should be rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.  

You will want to make sure your dog is getting adequate B-vitamins and Vitamin K as these tend to be deficiencies in dogs with liver issues.  

This is just a general idea but based on your dog’s specific liver disease you might need to adjust.  

NATURAL REMEDIES FOR LIVER DISEASE IN DOGS 

MILK THISTLE 

Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) is one of the well-known natural remedies for liver disease in dogs an is a great anti-oxidant herb for supporting the liver and has been proven to reduce liver injury in animals. ⁵Abenavoli, L., Capasso, R., Milic, N., & Capasso, F. (2010). Milk thistle in liver diseases: past, present, future. Phytotherapy research : PTR, 24(10), 1423–1432. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.3207  

I personally use this product since it is organic and contains 80% silymarin.  

Amazon.com: Organic Milk Thistle Extract, 3.5 Ounces, Pure Milk Thistle Powder Organic, Milk Thistle Tea, Contains 80% Active Silymarin, Strongly Supports Liver Health and Antioxidant, Vegan Friendly : Health & Household

Check out our other article below for more information

  MILK THISTLE FOR DOGS, CAUTIONS AND BENEFITS

LIVER EXTRACT 

Liver extract may be beneficial to your dog. The theory of “like treats like” has been around for ages and the idea is that if your dog is deficient or lacking in a specific organ you feed it that specific organ to replenish the nutrients it might be missing.  

In a study with mice who were induced with fatty liver disease they were given liver and bile and the results showed that feeding this supplementation has the ability to improve the induced liver condition. ⁶Wan, T. C., Liu, Y. T., Duann, L. T., Yu, K. H., Chen, C. M., Lin, L. C., & Sakata, R. (2014). Effects of animal liver and bile extracts on biochemical values of rat ethanol-induced fatty liver. Animal science journal = Nihon chikusan Gakkaiho, 85(1), 75–80. https://doi.org/10.1111/asj.12088   

One product that I love and use is grass-fed beef liver that comes from New Zealand and Australia.

Amazon.com: Ancestral Supplements Grass Fed Beef Liver Capsules, Supports Energy Production, Cleansing, Digestion, Immunity and Full Body Wellness, Non GMO, Freeze Dried Liver Support Supplement, 180 Capsules : Everything Else

The reason that I like this product is that there are no added fillers. I use 1 pill which is about 500 mg everyday mixed in with their food for my 75 pound fur kids.

Check out our other article below to learn more about liver extract and glandular therapy

GLANDULAR THERAPY FOR DOGS AND THE AMAZING BENEFITS

SAMe 

SAMe (S-adenosyl-L-methionine) The liver contains the 3^rd highest amount of naturally occurring SAMe in the body. ⁷SAMe and Liver Health (doctorsformulas.com)  

SAMe is converted into glutathione and helps to protect the liver cells from the waste products the liver is removing and can reduce liver injury. ⁸Guo, T., Chang, L., Xiao, Y., & Liu, Q. (2015). S-adenosyl-L-methionine for the treatment of chronic liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PloS one, 10(3), e0122124. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0122124  

SAMe should be given 1 hour before meals as it increases glutathione and red blood cell levels. 

VITAMIN E 

Vitamin E is an antioxidant and can help reduce oxidative damage and slow the progression of the disease. ⁹El Hadi, H., Vettor, R., & Rossato, M. (2018). Vitamin E as a Treatment for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Reality or Myth?. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 7(1), 12. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox7010012  ¹⁰Pacana, T., & Sanyal, A. J. (2012). Vitamin E and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care, 15(6), 641–648. https://doi.org/10.1097/MCO.0b013e328357f747  ¹¹Di Sario, A., Candelaresi, C., Omenetti, A., & Benedetti, A. (2007). Vitamin E in chronic liver diseases and liver fibrosis. Vitamins and hormones, 76, 551–573. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0083-6729(07)76021-1 

It is a fat-soluble vitamin and is also anti-inflammatory. 

Vitamin E can be found in foods such as; pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, wheat germ oil, sunflower seed or sunflower oil.  

I use a mixture of  

Amazon.com: NOW Supplements, Wheat Germ Oil with Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), Nutritional Oil, 16-Ounce : Health & Household

and also 

Amazon.com: BulkSupplements.com Vitamin E Powder – D-Alpha Tocopheryl, Antioxidants Supplement, Gluten Free – 500mg with 280mg (400IU) of Vitamin E per Serving, 200 Servings (100 Grams 3.5 oz) : Health & Household

You should know the difference when choosing vitamin E supplements  

“The key difference between DL alpha tocopheryl acetate and D alpha tocopherol is that the DL alpha tocopheryl acetate occurs as a synthetic racemic mixture whereas the D alpha tocopherol is a natural compound.” ¹²Difference Between DL Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate and D Alpha Tocopherol | Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms