Intro: This page is in the outline stage of things to come. Feel free to scan what I've written so far.
Some General Information about the Liver
The liver lays protected under the rib cage and performs many essential functions. It produces several hormones, enzymes, proteins, and other substances critical to life including a major role in the the vascular system.
It detoxifies and removes waste products in the blood by changing them to a form that can be eliminated. Liver cells change the food we eat into the amino acids, sugars, and fats that we can absorb and use in our cells. It has a major role in the storage of fat and energy for future use by the body.
Since the liver plays a major role in the metabolism and removal of medications given to a patient, we veterinarians are especially concerned about this role of the liver and will often recommend blood testing of the liver at intervals when using drugs know to sometimes cause liver trouble.
What To Expect When You Go To The Vet
Most people won't realize that their pet has liver disease when they take their pet to the vet...they'll just know that their pet is sick or has been losing weight, or has a very poor hair coat. Unless the patient has yellow gums, eye, ear flaps, and urine (jaundice), we usually can't tell if a patient has liver disease without the aid of some blood tests.
About some of the diseases and problems that occur in pets
Hepatic Encephalopathy
Hepatic Lipidosis
Jaundice or Icterus
Liver Failure
In Feline Infectious Peritonitis
Cancer of the Liver
Infectious Liver Disease
(Hepatitis)
Parasitic Liver Disease
Arteriovenous Fistula
Cirrhosis
Enlarged Liver
(hepatomegaly)
Gall Bladder Problems
About some of the Treatments, Tests, and Diets used when your pet has Liver disease.
Denosyl SD4
This is a brand new medication being used by veterinarians to help support the liver in it's role as a detoxifier for the body.
If toxins or drug metabolites build up in the blood...and they do as a normal part of cellular life in addition to the external poisons that most people think of when I say "toxins"...they can cause damage to the organs, make you feel sick, and start the cascade of chemical and cellular events leading to death. So the liver's role in filtering these endo and exo toxins by changing them into a form that can be eliminated through the bowels or urine is enormously important.
The liver's # 1 way of detoxifying is by making a potent antioxidan called glutathione. It makes glutathione from S-Adenosylmethionine which comes from the amino acid methionine which in turn comes from various foods in our diet.
Whenever the liver is sick, diseased, or not functioning well, the production of glutathione levels go down and the body starts to get into trouble from the build up of toxins.
The new medication called Denosyl SD4 is basically supplemental S-Adenosylmethionine and has been proven to greatly increase the levels of glutathione in the body of pets even when the liver is diseased. In addition, this powerful anti-oxidant protects liver cells from cell death and may be useful in cell regeneration and healing.
There aren't any common side effects or problems with using Denosyl and some vets are using this supplement as a preventive measure to support the liver when giving long term medications like Rimadyl (a great drug for arthritis) that are metabolized by the liver.
Denosyl is not inexpensive, and the only other comment I can think of about this new treatment is that it should be given at least one hour prior to feeding and that it's important that you not break or crush the tablet...otherwise the enteric coating will be compromised and the stomach acids will make the active ingredient ineffective.
Denosyl SD4 is made by Nutramax Laboratories 1-800-925-5187
www.nutramaxlabs.com
