Liver Enzymes

[Beth]

Ps Tamara, what change in diet did you have to make?

[admin]

Hiya Beth

Hearing that Heathy is happy, hungry & wants to play means more than you know – this is very important. It means he is doing very well in the circumstances & I want you to be really happy about this. Don’t worry about the weakness for now – I promise Worzel was the same & it WILL pass. We had times when we thought he was suffering with the pred & with the reduction – again, it is all worthwhile when things do improve, but it is a slow journey with many ups & downs. He dropped from 23-24kg down to 17.5kg – you can imagine how bad he looked. They cannot recover overnight – I wish that were possible, but it isn’t. This week may be a bit rough on him again with the reduction – please keep us posted & ask anything if you are concerned.

Great to hear he doesn’t have a UTI – one less thing to worry about!

Just had a look at human doses for milk thistle – this one is based on scientific research:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/milk-thistle/dosing/hrb-20059806
So it looks like the maximum is 800mg 3 times per day for humans. Therefore 75% is 600mg 3 times per day. Hope that helps! Incidentally, my vet has seen used it to save a dog from a case of mushroom poisoning, so it is miraculous stuff.

We know what it’s like to be really down, worried & have your life completely taken over, but I hope you know you have good friends around you on here. Please trust & use Patrice’s advice – she has an incredible depth knowledge about this, both from personal experience with her dog Chance & from the massive amount of research she has absorbed over the years since Chance was diagnosed. She was my rock when Worzel was ill & I promise I often felt as bad as you do during the worst times. I am still convinced that all Heathy’s problems are down to the pred & that his liver will be recovering at this very moment – it is by far the most resilient & regenerative organ in the body & can withstand a real onslaught.

Sending all our love, doggy hugs & a big cuddle to you & Heathy
Sheena, Worzel & Ollie xxxxx

[Beth]

Hi Everyone! Hope you are all well. I thought id update you. Hopefully every success story gives more hope to all the new cases of AIHA.
Heathcliff is doing wonderfully! In fact he is more bouncy and stronger than before he got ill! Admittedly he is still on a homecooked diet, which has helped him build up strength very quickly. He is on 10mg of prednisone once a day and stomach protectants plus the milk thistle still. On last count his liver enzymes were 634 ALT and 1577 AlkPho, that was at the end of March so im hoping they will be even better on the next check. His PCV is holding strong at 45. The only hiccup weve had recently is that i tried to reintroduce kibble to his diet, the best i could find, Orijen, and he ended up with very bloody stool, fresh blood. So i stopped that and am trying it a tiny amount at a time.
Life is getting back to normal, i patched things up with my boyfriend and have been able to have a normal working day without worrying about him too much.
I couldnt have done it without you all, when his liver enzymes went crazy, you were our saving grace and had the knowledge and experience to know what to do, immediately.
We are both eternally grateful.
Heathy says ‘woof’ (hello) and sends lots of doggy licks to all the doggies and parents who are currently dealing with AIHA, hang in there- be strong- it is worth it.
Love and Hugs,
Beth and Heathy xx

[Brigitte]

hello Beth!
I am so happy to hear how well Heathy is doing! What a great job you did nursing him back to health. You mention you home cook for your boy as if it would be a bad thing. Let me assure you it is NOT! Orijen is certainly one of the better brands of kibble but it is still kibble. They say no preservatives added and other lovely things, not telling us that the preservatives were already in the meat before it was processed. With a shelf life of a few months, there is no way there are no preservatives involved. If I were you I would just stick with the “real” food. I just believe in feeding my dogs food that I know what is in it, just like I want to know what is in the food I put in MY mouth:) The advertisers have done a wonderful job making us believe that kibble is superior to home cooking or even raw food. Sorry for ranting about this issue, but I am a strong believer of “real” food.
The liver enzymes will come down slowly. You have done a great job, just keep at it!
Best wishes,
Brigitte

[admin]

Hi Beth

Wonderful to hear from you & Heathy – and with such good news too! It looks like you’re going to have to do some more home cooking then – that kibble is not agreeing with him at all. As Brigitte says, if you cook it yourself, you know exactly what’s in it & it will be the best thing for him.

Glad your life is finally settling down after the worry & stress of everything – you really have been a brilliant Mum.

Loads of love & hugs
Sheena, Worzel & Ollie xxxxx

[Vally]

Hi Beth, you’ve done so so brilliantly. Heathy is one lucky boy to have you.

Vally & Bingo
xxx