My dog has high liver levels and enlarged gallbladder. Should I use supplements?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am very sorry that BJ is so sick! It sounds as though your Vet is doing a very good job trying to get BJ better. All those supplements and antibiotics are perfect. Sometimes though they do not work and surgery is need to remove the gall bladder. I am assuming that BJ has had an ultrasound when he was first diagnoses? It may be warranted to recheck the ultrasound if the values have worsened. If he is feeling fine and the ultrasound has not changed then maybe you can discuss with your Vet giving him more time with the medications. If he is feeling poorly and the ultrasound reveals that the gall bladder wall is unhealthy or about to rupture then surgery is his best chance. There are no other medications that I can think of, he is on everything already! I wish you and BJ the best!

There are no supplements for either of these conditions. However the low fat food is the gold standard for pancreatitis, and can also help with gallbladder stones as well. Gallbladder stones should have also been treated for with a long course of antibiotics and gallbladder medication (i.e. Ursodiol). If you are still looking for other natural options, then its best to consult with an alternative medicine vet. They are good at recommending alternative treatment options that may not have clinical backings, but can be anecdotal in some pets. Best of luck with your pet Rocky moving forward. Take care!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Elevated liver enzymes and abnormal liver appearance on ultrasound scan does not necessary mean liver tumour or liver failure. Older dogs often have abnormal liver appearance, which is not related to any serious underlying problem. Liver enzymes level is a measure of 'damage' to liver cells but it is not directly related to prognosis. Again, older dogs often have mild elevation of liver enzymes I would think that the specialist will perform full abdominal scan and possibly take liver samples through a needle - this is commonly performed procedure in dogs with signs of liver disease. Based on the findings of the aspirate, the doctor will recommend further testing or prescribe treatment for Mars.

I would be suspicious of a few things to cause these elevations, including: liver disease, or cholestatic disease (involving the gallbladder). Neoplasia also can't be ruled out here. I would highly recommend the next step here to be an abdominal ultrasound and a bile acid test to check the liver function. The ultrasound is valuable here b/c we can get a good look at the gallbladder and check for a mucocoele. I do hope that Bear's condition is able to be managed well moving forward. Best wishes and take care.

It’s hard to know what to recommend without having access to Riley’s full medical record. I wouldn’t necessarily think the Lyme disease would change your decision since it can be treated and the liver and gallbladder changes would not be related. It might make sense to try to sample the liver masses first to try to determine whether or not they are cancer, although this might not be possible. Don’t be afraid to ask your vet to discuss pros and cons of surgery with you again if you’re having a difficult time making a decision.

Hello, I am sorry to hear about Ginger. Based on the recheck liver values I would be concerned that Ginger has a problem in her biliary system, such as a GB mucocele or potentially a biliary duct obstruction. I would recommend rechecking the ultrasound to look for either of these developments. One thing that is interesting is that the other values are improving. Did your vet have any concerns about the blood sample when he ran/submitted the bloodwork. If there is a large amount of hemolysis (or breakdown of red blood cells) secondary to a traumatic blood draw or mishandling of the blood tube, this can lead to a false elevation of bilirubin. Although this value seems quite high to be due solely to sample error, I wonder if it may be contributing somewhat. If Ginger has a repeat ultrasound it might also be wise to recheck her total bilirubin level. Hope this helps, good luck!

Hi there! I'm so sorry to hear about Call being sick. From the blood values you've given me, I think the best case scenario for Call would be a gall bladder problem, such as a mucocoele (a soft "gallstone") or infection. The gall bladder can be fully surgically removed in these cases and the liver enzymes may be able to return to normal after recovery. Unfortunately, it may also be a sign of liver cancer, the most common being hepatocellular carcinoma. When the vet does his ultrasound, they will be able to tell you about what both the liver and gallbladder look like and hopefully it will give a clear answer as to what's going on. I hope this helps answer your question. I wish you the best of luck and I'll keep Call in my thoughts!