Question:
My darling is Welsh Terrier, the loveliest girl, 10 years old. She started drinking lots of water and also urinating frequently some two months ago. Then we went to see the vet, but they said that it was probably psychological, and sent us home after doing basic test for glucosis and infection which was ruled out. After some time we returned, because we figured it can't be psychological and liver tests were very bad. We did ultrasound and x ray which both showed enlarged liver, degenerated in accordance with age and some bile stones - diagnosis says Intumescentia hepatis, Degeneratio hepatis, Cholelithiasis. Her detailed blood work is as follows:

ASP 9730
AST 44
ALT 486
GLUCOSIS 5.5
KREATININ 60
GGT 634
NATRIUM 150
TOTAL PROTEIN 74
ALBUMIN 39.3
POTASSIUM 4.7
CRP 0.1
CHLORIDE 107
L 18.3
E 5.94
Hb 148
HE 0.43
MCV 72
MCH 25
MCHC 344
T 780
FERRO 44.7
CHOLESTEROL 11.7
TRIGLICERIDS 1.75
AMYLASE 545

She is bloated and her liver is huge can be felt from outside it is so enlarged. She is not yellow and she eats well. The vet told me that her ASP level indicates either cancer metastasis or bile duct blockage and started her last friday on agressive antibiotic treatment. Here is only 2 am and I am writing in hope that somebody can help me, she is feeling a lot worse last couple of days, and her liver is getting larger and larger, I'm afraid she's dying. When I woke up half an hour ago she could barely stand up, and before the treatment her only problem was drinking and urinating excessively. Please help me I'm desperate, do you have any idea what is going on? Should the vet discontinue antibiotic treatment, is it the treatment that may be making her feel worse? Please help.....

Answer:
Please bring her to the vet immediately. Is there an emergency vet you can contact?

Answer:
Originally Posted by coppperbelle
Please bring her to the vet immediately. Is there an emergency vet you can contact?

Unfortunately he's not answering the phone. Please tell me your opinion....

Answer:
There's no other vet around? What treatments have you done already? Have you started a diet that caters to liver problems? Have you talked to a vet since the blood tests?

Answer:
Originally Posted by Prin
There's no other vet around? What treatments have you done already? Have you started a diet that caters to liver problems? Have you talked to a vet since the blood tests?

Unfortunately I don't have access to any other vet (here it is 4 am now) until 7 am. We have started Hills l/d diet, and have been seeing vet every day for last four weeks. Now she is on antibiotics treatment, and in last two days she is not feeling well, I told it to vet, but he didn't react. When I woke up this night I found her in seriously diminished health. I am not sure if my vet is doing her harm with antibiotics for bile problem, I would like expert vet opinion in order to be able to confront my vet! Please take me seriously, I am doing all I can, it is not my fault I live in a small country, and even though I would do whatever I can, I feel totaly helpless. I just don't want to lose her... What is wrong with her? Does anybody have any idea?

Answer:
What a tough situation! The problem is the vets on this site aren't here often enough to wait for them to answer.:( I'd just head back to the vet (if there aren't any others) for 7AM... Not much else to do, IMO... Sorry.

Answer:
Just one more thing. My vet also suggested that it could be metastasized cancer, even though nothing like that is visible on ultrasound and x ray, and blood work is not entirely cancer specific. I can accept that, but since my childhood dog died of cancer, I know what it looks like, and certainly this sudden decrease in her health condition in last two days is not cancer specific. I am driving myself crazy googling for her results, but I am not a vet, and except for bile and cancer related problems I didn't found anything else. What is your opinion?

Answer:
Originally Posted by Prin
What a tough situation! The problem is the vets on this site aren't here often enough to wait for them to answer.:( I'd just head back to the vet (if there aren't any others) for 7AM... Not much else to do, IMO... Sorry.

Thank you very much for all help! It really means a world to me...

Answer:
IS you dogs bowels working? Pay attention to the color of the stools if it becomes white it means the liver is failing. My momma dog died from liver cancer but she got to the point she couldnt hold food down. It sounds to me like your dog needs to have its liver cleansed might need an IV to try and detoxify it. it sould also be that it has a blockage. Hope everything goes well Its so hard when they are sick GOOD LUCK

Answer:
Originally Posted by Twinklebean
IS you dogs bowels working? Pay attention to the color of the stools if it becomes white it means the liver is failing. My momma dog died from liver cancer but she got to the point she couldnt hold food down. It sounds to me like your dog needs to have its liver cleansed might need an IV to try and detoxify it. it sould also be that it has a blockage. Hope everything goes well Its so hard when they are sick GOOD LUCK

Bowels are working fine, stool is ok in color, little on the soft side since she started Hills l/d. As I googled liver symptoms, her only symptom in that category is increase in drinking and urinating, her appetite is fine and bowels are working, also her kidney are functioning (we also did urine tests, they were all fine). I do hope that everything turns out fine, I can't imagine life without her...

Answer:
No advice, except to say discontinuing antibiotic treatment part way through is usually not recommended.

I hope you get some answers tomorrow mornign.

Answer:
i have a dog with chronic active hepatitis. don't lose hope - there is lot of support out there. join yahoo group canine liver disease, it changed our lives! has your dog seen a specialist? is your dog on milk thistle - this is very important. google sunnys miracle diet and you will find a simple recipe for homemade food for liver dogs. it's very important to get off commercially prepared foods.
my dog takes alot of supplements, over a year later he is doing fine but he does drink more water and pee more than normal. we have tried homeopathy and chinese medicine as well as accupuncture.
some liver dogs need antibiotics - it is important to make sure the particular antibiotic prescribed is liver safe and you can learn more about that on the yahoo group.
take care of yourself, liver dogs are a little more work but our babies deserve it!

Answer:
Originally Posted by masonsmom
i have a dog with chronic active hepatitis. don't lose hope - there is lot of support out there. join yahoo group canine liver disease, it changed our lives! has your dog seen a specialist? is your dog on milk thistle - this is very important. google sunnys miracle diet and you will find a simple recipe for homemade food for liver dogs. it's very important to get off commercially prepared foods.
my dog takes alot of supplements, over a year later he is doing fine but he does drink more water and pee more than normal. we have tried homeopathy and chinese medicine as well as accupuncture.
some liver dogs need antibiotics - it is important to make sure the particular antibiotic prescribed is liver safe and you can learn more about that on the yahoo group.
take care of yourself, liver dogs are a little more work but our babies deserve it!

Thank you and all at forum very much, you really helped me to help my little one. Anyway, our crisis that we just had this night resolved fine. She got better in the morning, all of a sudden, and when we went to see the vet, it turned out that one of her medicines (not an antibiotic, from some other medicine group) might have made her sick, so we took her of that particular drug, and continued with antibiotics. She's now asleep and feeling much better. Now we start with new food and new life...

Answer:
I'm glad everything worked out somehow... I hope she continues to be ok...

Answer:
Originally Posted by Prin
I'm glad everything worked out somehow... I hope she continues to be ok...

Well, unfortunately, we have another puzzle. Today we did her blood work again, and even though she felt much better at the end of her antibiotics treatment (on Sunday), now she is a little bit off, and her blood work is not improving. Here are her results from 3 May and today.

3.5.2006 18.5.2006
Glucosys 5,5 5,3 mmol/L
Urea 7,8 17 mmol/L
Kreatinin 60 89 umol/L
Bilirubin total 12,4 7,8 umol/L
Bilirubin conjugated 6,4 umol/L
Bilirubin unconjugated 6 umol/L
AST 44 45 U/L
ALT 486 331 U/L
GGT 634 557 U/L
ALP 9730 13128 U/L
LDH 82 238 U/L
Albumin 39,3 g/L
Urine acid 16 umol/L
Total protein 74 80 g/L
CRP 0,1 mg/L
Natrium 150 145 mmol/L
Potassium 4,7 5,7 mmol/L
Chloride 107 103 mmol/L
Calcium 2,62 mmol/L
Anorganic phosphates 1,72 mmol/L
Ferr 44,7 umol/L
Cholesterol 11,7 16,2 mmol/L
Triglicerides 1,75 1,34 mmol/L
Amylasa 545 519 U/L

Of ALP part that is derived from:
Liver 10322 U/L
Bone 2806 U/L

3.5.2006 18.5.2006
WBC 20,5 10^9/L
RBC 5,79 10^12/L
HGB 147 g/L
HCT 0,421 L/L
MCV 72 72,6 L fl
MCH 25 25,4 L pg
MCHC 344 350 g/L
RDW 16 H %
PLT 851 RH 10^9/L
MPV 5,4 RL fL


L 18,3 x10/L
E 5,94 x10/L
Hb 148 g/L
HE 0,43 L/L
T 780 x10/L

Segmented blood work (two tests on two dates have, I suppose different names)
3.5.2006 3.5.2006 18.5.2006 18.5.2006
Segmented blood work 89 95 Neut
Limfo 4 2 Lymph
Limfo reak 7 3 Mono

Any vet? Any opinion? No tumour or cancer showing up on ultrasound, no liver biopsy performed yet, she has bile stone. Why is her ALP so extremely high? I have never seen anywhere such high values... Please advise if possible....

Answer:
The vets on this site volunteer their time and are not here every day. The rest of us are not qualified to read your dog's blood work results.

Please go over the results with your own vet and ask why her ALP is so high. Then come back and post the results.

Answer: