My 12-year-old Whippet has a liver growth. Can she get better?

Liver tumors may or may not be truly "cancerous", i.e. Cause metastasis to other parts of the body and severe disease. Dogs can have benign liver tumors that don't metastasize, however they can get very large and impact liver function. There's really no way to know which type of tumor - benign or malignant - your dog has without a biopsy of the tumor. Ultimately the increase in water consumption is concerning, as polydipsia (increased water intake) can be a sign of severe liver disease. Some blood work would help to understand whether there is significant disease, as well as possibly an ultrasound exam of the liver. There may be medications that she could benefit from that would improve how she feels, however ultimately it's likely that addressing the tumor surgically - if that's even possibly - is the only way to definitively improve the situation.

Getting down to the cause of the liver failure is important for treatment. I would be concerned about the lumps and irregular breathing pattern. Chest x-rays would be helpful to determine if there is an abnormality with the heart or lungs or enlarged lymph nodes within the chest. The lumps could indicate cancer, either primary or secondary to another location. The liver is a common site of cancer or metastatic cancer. I would recommend talking to your vet about a liver biopsy or biopsying the masses to determine if they are cancerous. Antibiotics and steroids can help with infections of the liver or an inflamed liver, but if there was poor response then these are unlikely the causes of the elevated liver values. Denamarin is a supplement that contains antioxidants to protect the liver; it does not treat liver failure.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While in theory anti-inflammatory medications can help to reduce the blood vessels feeding the tumor, this is only when combined with a chemotherapeutic agent such as cyclophosphamide given in a metronomic fashion. However, we have not found this to result in a better outcome in patients with metastasis (spread of the tumor). While those herbs are unlikely to be harmful, they unlikely to help. You can always however try the herbs and focus on her quality of life at this time. I would encourage you to seek a consultation with a veterinary oncologist that can review the case in detail and make recommendations. Good luck!

Hello. Without the bloodwork, I can not address her overall condition to say whether surgery is appropriate or not. I would highly recommend that x-rays of her lungs be done to see if there is any evidence that the mass on her liver has metastasized to her lungs. If this has happened, then I would not put her through surgery. An ultrasound of her abdomen would also be very useful in looking at the liver, gall bladder & kidneys, & would give much more information about what is going on. In the meantime, I would start her on insulin to try & regulate the elevated blood sugar. Talk to your vet to see what the next best steps for Layla are. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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!

Liver disease can cause diarrhea, but numerous other diseases cause diarrhea as well and usually diarrhea is seen with significant liver disease. If the liver growths are benign then surgery may not be necessary, although some benign tumors can continue to grow large enough that they can cause problems. If it is not known 100% if the growths are benign or malignant then surgery might be necessary to determine exactly what they are. You may want to discuss your concerns with your vet to see what they recommend, or ask about referral to a specialist.

So sorry she is having these problems. Drinking and urinating more can be a sign of kidney disease, Cushing's disease, diabetes, Addison's disease, infections, thyroid disease, etc. The only way to know the cause is to have a vet run some bloodwork and a urinalysis. The lump could be a cyst, infection, benign or cancerous mass. A needle aspirate or biopsy may be necessary to diagnose. She really needs to be examined by a vet. Try to find a low cost clinic in your area or a vet that would take a payment plan. You could also apply for Care Credit which is a veterinary credit care. Hope you can find her the help that she needs.