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Any experience with high liver counts?

2K views 15 replies 10 participants last post by  marjrc 
#1 ·
I thought I would post this in a new thread because my previous one was about getting spayed.

Well, I took Junie to the vet this morning and dropped her off to be spayed. They called an hour later and told me her pre-surgery blood screening showed liver levels almost 3 times normal. They want to put her on a mild antibiotic and test again in 3 weeks. If the readings are still high, they would do more extensive testing. If not, they will spay her. She did not seem overly concerned and acted almost like this could be somewhat typical...but Im beside myself! My husband and I recently realized we have both been giving her a few chicken jerky treats each day (too much!) and Im hoping that was the cause. Maybe too much protein. Anyway, I was worried about the surgery and now it might end even worse. Any experience with something similar?

Thanks.
 
#4 ·
There are several of us who have had dogs with high liver counts in a basic screening. There have been a couple very sick dogs, some with mild MVD, and some who have turned up perfectly healthy.

First of all I commend your vet and you for doing the pre-spay blood work. An dog should not have anesthesia when the screening numbers are elevated until a diagnosis is made or ruled out. Many vets do not routinely do do the bloodwork.

I would have her bile acids checked when whe has her next liver tests in 3 weeks.
 
#5 ·
I sure am glad I insisted on the pre-surgery blood work. All of my Havanese research paid off...I even insisted on them gassing her to sleep instead of an injection. They are a great practice too, a little expensive, but seem to look out for the animal ahead of the money. I just met with the vet when I picked up Junie. She made me feel alot better. I said "please be honest, should I be worried?" She said no, they tend to error on the side of caution. She said in the case of liver disease or shunts, there are some other numbers in the bloodwork that would likely have been elevated (she talked about globulins and albumins and kind of lost me). She suspects an infection, so hopefully the antibiotics solve the problem. I will definitely ask about the bile acids at the next visit...thanks!
 
#7 ·
Hi Kirsten,
I don't know much about the liver situation, but I wanted to suggest one thing to you. After the scare last year with the chicken jerky from China, a lot of us stopped using them. They were Brady's favorite treat and I felt terrible not giving them to him. There are no brands that are made in the US. There used to be one, but they shut down. I have now bought a dehydrator and make my own. Both of my boys go crazy over them and I know they are safe. It is really easy to make. Just thought you might want to consider this. I can tell how much you worry about your baby. I hope the liver thing is just an infection and passes quickly. I am sure you will get a lot more posts from people who have been in your situation.
 
#8 ·
Hi Kirsten,
I have now bought a dehydrator and make my own. Both of my boys go crazy over them and I know they are safe. It is really easy to make. Just thought you might want to consider this.
Aha! I've been looking into this as well. What brand of dehydrator did you get? This is one of the first purchases DH has not given me the :suspicious: as long as I make jerky for him as well :pound:
 
#9 ·
I have a Nesco. The one I got does not have a timer though. I would recommend getting one with a timer so you can leave it on and go to bed. I just slice the chicken very thin and lay it out on the trays. Then turn the dehydrator on and let it go on 160 degrees for 4 hours. The dogs lay next to it and wait the entire time. They love fresh jerky.
 
#10 ·
Kirsten, I am glad the bloodwork was done, but yes it could be "normal" to have a high ALT level. Was it ALT or ALP that was high?

There is a very long thread on my experience with Ricky, though the beginning of it was quite scary. Nothing like what's going on with your Junie. Here it is: http://havaneseforum.com/showthread.php?t=2411&highlight=Hugs+Ricky

"Too much" protein doesn't cause liver and/or kidney issues, when the source is a good one, where they don't add too much bone to their kibble or treats. It's the high level of ash (from cooked down bone) that used to cause some health issues. That was years ago and isn't really an issue at all these days because most companies just know better. Not that I'd trust much coming from China or if the product is too cheap! So, don't worry about the protein amount. :)

Do let us know what happens next month. Cheryl is right about asking for a BAT as it can really tell how Junie's liver reacts after eating.
 
#11 ·
Just wanted to add my experience. We also found high levels in pre-neuter blood work. Held off on the surgery-- did the BAT which was normal---- waited a month or so before we tried again. At that point things were all ok, and surgery was done. Linus has been just fine, but I surely understand your panic. Glad it sounds like you have a good and understanding vet. I had been looking at the forum some back then....but hadn't signed up. Just reading through every related post then helped me not totally freak out----though it also gave me lots of education on what the posibilities were. Just hang in there. You can see how many Hav lovers will be with you in spirit....and full of information.
Suzy
 
#12 ·
Marj, I want you to know I just read the entire thread of your experience! I got sucked in and spent the last hour or more reading all of it. Is Ricky completely better now? I certainly hope we never have to go through anything like your experience. This forum was incredibly supportive though, so Im sure that helped.

Anyway, I did check the label on the chicken chips we have been giving Junie. Despite my best effort to buy a good brand, you are right, they are from China. Anyway, even before discovering that, we had planned to stop giving her anything besides her food for a while. The vet even suggested stopping the scrambled egg yolk I give her every other day. The meat drying machines sounds interesting...maybe I'll ask Santa for one. Thanks again for input.
 
#14 ·
We were using Vita Life chicken snacks. I dont know that I would exactly call them jerky, but they kept her busy for at least 20 mins for each one. Now Im terrified to give her anything chewy other than toys. I think I will try a jerky making machine. I have not yet told my breeder, but she will be my first contact after the next blood test in 2 weeks. Im hoping this all just passes as being caused by something she ate. The scariest thing is that I have a new puppy coming in a few weeks (different breeder). When it rains it pours right?
 
#15 ·
Lulu's very first BAT had a higher than normal pre test. I have always suspected the Costco chicken jerky we were giving her. Ever since we took it away her BAT's have been normal. The puppy shots were also a suspect in that they were too close together. I would also have the BAT done when you re-test in 3 weeks. She will most likely be fine!
Carole
 
#16 ·
Kirsten, wow. The WHOLE thread? Lots to read, eh? lol

Ricky just had a bloodtest last week and things are looking good. Thank you for asking. The support I got here is incredible! It truly helped me deal with so many questions I had. I was going nuts there for a while. :)

As you read, in Ricky's case, his acute liver crisis was due to his vaccines he'd had 4 days prior. You can understand why I'm not vaccinating my two anymore!

You can find really good, healthy jerky instead of buying a machine if that's not an option for you. Bailey's beef jerky (see banner on front page here) are made by Karen (mom to Bailey) and are a huge success. 100% top grade beef. Nothing else. There are other companies that also make them and only use local products so worth checking out.

Good luck! I'll be interested to hear how Junie does in a couple of weeks.
 
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