My golden retriever is vomiting with liver and kidney issues. What's next?

A urinalysis would be needed to see if the increased kidney values are because of kidney disease or dehydration. I am concerned about liver failure causing the low protein levels and hypoglycemia. Additional diagnostics would be needed to determine the cause and most appropriate treatment. An ultrasound, biopsy or culture may be indicated. Symptoms can be treated individually, so discuss the use of anti-nausea medications with your vet. Other medications may also be indicated to reduce the effects of digestion with a failing liver, like metronidazole, lactulose, denamarin, and others.

Hello, thank you for your question about Loki. ALT is a liver enzyme and elevations can be a sign of underlying liver disease (caused by infection, inflammation, etc). BUN is considered a marker of kidney function but can also be elevated for other reasons, such as GI bleeding. Depending on the severity of these elevations and Loki's history I would recommend testing him for an infection called leptospirosis, as this disease can cause liver and kidney abnormalities. Alternatively, If Loki is still feeling well and the metronidazole is improving his symptoms, you could continue with this treatment regimen and monitor him for development of any symptoms. I would recommend rechecking these values after he has finished the course of metronidazole and considering the need for other diagnostics at that time. Hope this helps, good luck!

The bilirubin is a bit high, as is the ALP (alkaline phosphatase) but neither of these values is super specific in terms of what the cause or the best treatment is. We can see the ALP be elevated with stress, age, and sometimes even normal cell regeneration within the liver. The bilirubin can be slightly elevated when the blood sample is what we call "hemolyzed," which can sometimes happen when blood is spun down for a blood test to be run. Therefore, if he is still showing symptoms of illness, I would echo what Dr Ana said; it may be time to consider imaging. Either X-rays or an abdominal ultrasound maybe helpful in identifying the problem and therefore identifying the best way to treat it. Take him back to the vet if he's still having troubles, as he probably is in need of some more fluids as well. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach, I hope he's feeling better.

Mild increases in liver values can be seen for a number of different reasons, and sometimes it can be very difficult to determine what the underlying cause might be. Infections like leptospirosis, migrating parasites, congenital diseases like a portosystemic shunt or some toxins can cause liver values to increase. It seems like Leo is on supportive medications for the liver - it would be helpful to know if his values are increasing or decreasing since trends are most important. An abdominal ultrasound might be the next step, or you could also ask about referral to a specialist if available in your area.

That sounds like a tough situation. Depending on the current physical exam, repeat or additional blood work and x-rays may be needed. If those tests come back normal again, then surgery may be needed to explore the intestines and take biopsies.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on the blood results, I am concerned about the kidneys as it looks like Doyle is in renal failure with the high BUN and Creatinine. The anemia and high WBC count are also concerning. The anemia may be due to a chronic infection, the renal failure or auto-immune. I would recommend further testing such as x-rays and abdominal ultrasound. Is it possible that Doyle may have eaten something toxic to cause the renal failure? I would pursue further diagnostic testing to rule other causes out. Run some infectious disease panels such as panels to check for tick borne infections as well. Chronic ehrlichiosis (tick borne disease) can lead to renal failure in some cases as well as the anemia and high WBC count. I hope this helps and hope Doyle gets better soon. You may consider an internal medicine specialist for Doyle as well.

Hi, Oscar needs to be hospitalized and treated with IV fluids, antibiotics, and gastrointestinal protectants. Additionally, he should be tested for infectious diseases such as leptospirosis and ultrasounded to determine if he has any problems in his liver or kidneys.