It would seem that liver cirrhosis is a completely human disease that occurs most often with the abuse of alcohol and fatty junk food. But this disease also affects our smaller brothers - cats and dogs. So, liver cirrhosis in dogs, symptoms and treatment, as well as diagnosis and causes, are all considered in this article.
Symptoms
The liver is a vital organ, so any violation can lead to the most negative consequences. You should pay attention if your pet has:
- The overall activity decreased, the animal became lethargic and lethargic.
- The dog quickly loses body weight, her appetite is disturbed for a long time.
- The animal is tormented by vomiting or diarrhea, feces are painted white or, conversely, black (the latter is due to the presence of blood in the feces).
- The skin in the visible areas and mucous membranes changed hue to slightly yellowish, and in these places there appeared small punctate hemorrhages.
- Sclera is yellowish.
- The dog constantly suffers from thirst, drinks a lot of water. She also has increased urination.
- The animal begins to lose sight.
All of the above does not necessarily indicate liver cirrhosis in dogs, the symptoms may be similar in other diseases. A more specific sign may be ascites - that is, an increased volume of the dog’s abdomen against the background of general depletion of the body, the so-called abdominal dropsy. Unfortunately, at the onset of this stage, the animal is practically incurable and can live from several days to three months.
Diagnostics
Since the diagnosis and treatment of liver cirrhosis in dogs is possible only in a medical institution, you should immediately contact a veterinarian. There the animal:
- they will take blood for biochemistry to check the functional activity of the organ;
- they will take blood for a coagulogram (an analysis that shows in what condition the animal has a blood coagulation system);
- will do an ultrasound and radiography of the liver;
- if necessary, they will take a puncture and do a liver biopsy.
But what can cause liver cirrhosis in dogs?
Causes of occurrence
The most common cause of the disease is poisoning with a poisonous substance. Moreover, a dog can either pick up poisonous food somewhere on the street, or receive a dose of a poisonous substance with poor-quality food. In addition, cirrhosis can develop if the dog, especially in childhood, receives unbalanced food.
That is why it is important that the dog receives food from trusted manufacturers. If you are a supporter of natural feed, then make sure that a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals comes from food. In addition, it will be useful to purchase special vitamin complexes for dogs, for example, with selenium.
In addition to the above, liver cirrhosis in dogs can be caused by taking certain medications, for example, anticonvulsants or disinfectants that contain phenol. Sometimes veterinarians prescribe drugs intended for people - the risk here is that it is very difficult to independently calculate the dosage in this case. Therefore, if possible, refrain from taking such medications or replace them with special ones for dogs.
The use of certain sprays, collars, shampoos - most often low-quality and cheap - can also lead to the development of cirrhosis. But even high-quality products, if used improperly, can lead to negative consequences. For example, the acquisition of a small dog flea collar for dogs of large breeds. In this case, you can adjust the length of the collar yourself, but the amount of active substance that the collar is impregnated with? Unfortunately, many owners do not even think about it.
Also, liver cirrhosis in dogs can be hereditary or develop from another disease, for example, if the animal has been ill with hepatitis or cholecystitis for a long time. Plague, some other viruses and germs can also cause cirrhosis.
Dog breeds prone to cirrhosis
Perhaps, it’s not a secret for anyone that practically every breed carries some diseases easier, some harder, and some do not get sick at all. This applies not only to dogs, but also to the breed of any animals artificially bred by humans.
The dog breeds that most often suffer from cirrhosis include:
- Labradors
- Cocker Spaniels.
- Poodles.
- Rottweilers.
- Dobermans.
But it should be understood that the above breeds more often than others suffer precisely from a predisposition to hereditary cirrhosis of the liver. A dog of absolutely any breed can become ill, especially if cirrhosis is caused by poisoning. In addition, as mentioned above, a dog’s cirrhosis can develop from hepatitis, and he, in turn, can become infected with a dog from a sick animal, dirty water or just street debris. Therefore, no matter what breed your pet is, always monitor its health and do not neglect preventive vaccinations and vaccinations.
Varieties of cirrhosis
In total, there are two types of cirrhosis: atrophic and hypertrophic.
At the first, the liver is reduced in size due to the fact that connective tissue grows and contracts the liver. This type of cirrhosis is most difficult to diagnose - it is almost impossible to detect it without the help of ultrasound.
The hypertrophic form of cirrhosis can be diagnosed even independently. In this case, the animal’s liver is so large that it can be felt in the region of the last rib. The dog is nervous and does not allow this to be done due to pain.
Whatever kind of cirrhosis your animal suffers, only a doctor can make a final diagnosis. And on how timely this will be done, the survival of the animal in the future depends. Untimely diagnosis of liver cirrhosis in dogs can lead to a rapid development of the disease and death within a few hours to several days.
Treatment
After a dog’s cirrhosis has been diagnosed, how long an animal will live, largely depends on what stage the disease was diagnosed with and proper treatment.
With early diagnosis, usually prescribed treatment at home. With a more complex form of the disease, the animal needs hospitalization, since it will be necessary to constantly remove the fluid accumulating in the body, as well as carry out infusion infusions to prevent poisoning of the body by toxins. Also, the animal receives vitamin preparations and medicines that stop the pain syndrome. For ethical reasons, the article does not give detailed names of the drugs in order to exclude self-medication of a sick animal.
In addition, it must be borne in mind that it is impossible to completely cure liver cirrhosis in dogs - for the rest of the life the animal will need to undergo symptomatic therapy, maintain a special diet and feed it with medicinal food three to five times a day in small portions.
Euthanasia?
As a rule, the owner is often tormented by the question when they diagnosed liver cirrhosis in dogs, how many sick animals live. If the diagnosis was made at the initial stage, then the dog has a rather high chance of transferring the disease relatively easily, albeit, as mentioned above, not completely without a trace.
It’s a completely different matter when an animal has already started dropsy of the abdominal cavity. Almost all treatment consists in removing excess fluid through a special puncture in the peritoneum. In this case, the question arises in this way: “How humane is it to torment a sick animal and prolong its agony?” Unfortunately, each owner must answer this question independently. In the late stages of diagnosis, the dog, at best, will live another six months, more often the death of the animal occurs in a month or two. Therefore, in such cases, the doctor may himself raise the question of euthanasia.
If the dog already had hepatitis, then the recurrence of the disease can be harder to carry, but the dog can sometimes survive for more than six months. But then again, what kind of life will it be doomed to?
Prevention
In order to prevent infection of the animal, you need to monitor its diet, wean it "pick up" pieces on the street and eat it from the wrong hands, periodically solder it with vitamin complexes and go to preventive measures and vaccination in the clinic. Especially if your pet is at risk.
Long walks and active games in the fresh air are also considered important. If, in spite of everything, you have found signs of cirrhosis of the liver in the dog, then contact the clinic immediately. Now you know that this disease is fatal, therefore it is better to “overdo it”.
Conclusion
Fortunately, cirrhosis in dogs is a rare disease. This is due to the fact that the life of dogs in itself is short enough and not enough for cirrhosis to develop on its own. As a rule, a disease is acquired, caused by external factors, which means that the health of the pet is more dependent on the owner.
Do not use medications for humans to treat animals, for example, Tetracycline, Testosterone, Papaverine - they can cause liver cirrhosis in dogs due to improper dosage. Also, some flea and tick collars and aerosols can lead to this disease. Poor feed, air containing poisonous fumes ... you can continue indefinitely. The main thing that you need to understand for yourself is that if you decide to get a dog, think about it. Can you provide him with proper care and nutrition, can you not save on his health, even, perhaps, to the detriment of yourself? Remember, we are responsible for those who have tamed!