My senior schnauzer is very sick. Is it liver failure or treatable?

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.

Poor Bruno! I can see the brown material in his vomit and the very dark stool, which is likely digested blood. This happens because acids build up in the blood when they are not filtered by the kidneys, these acids are very caustic to the tissues of the stomach, and result in ulcers, which bleed. The prognosis depends on the cause of the kidney disease, as certain conditions can be treated and managed for some time, but unfortunately, the prognosis is typically poor to grave. Bruno likely needs fluids to prevent dehydration, and medication to protect the lining of his intestines. The kidneys are also responsible for making a hormone, erythropoeitin, which helps the bone marrow make new red blood cells. Along with the gastric bleeding, this is causing the drop in hemoglobin. The decision is not easy, but humane euthanasia may be an option to consider for Bruno, as kidney failure is known to be painful and very uncomfortable in humans. Unfortunately, treatments such as subcutaneous fluids and toxin binding agents such as Azodyl and Epakatin are palliative at best. I am happy to answer any additional questions you may have.

It looks like he is suffering from some liver and kidney values elevations and he also is anemic. (Low red blood cells). Since I do not not his current condition and how long this has been going on, it is difficult for me to give you a survival time. If this has happened quickly and could be a toxin then with aggressive therapy (hospitalization and IV fluids), then these values could go back to normal and stay that way as long as there wasn't any permanent damage. If this has been chronic and his urine is very dilute then this could be permanent damage to the kidneys which is a much poorer prognosis long term. I would still recommend hospitalization and IV fluids if possible. I would talk to your vet about whether he needs fluids, antibiotics, appetite stimulants, anti-nausea medicine etc. I hope this helps and your sweet baby gets well really soon!

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Glad to talk to a fellow colleague. I think in a case like this the first thing to consider is what is causing the clinical findings. In an older Golden retriever with such a high fever, I would be very concerned about underlying causes that can cause fevers such as for example an upper urinary tract infection such as pyelonephritis which can explain both the fever and the high renal values or possibly cancer. I think further diagnostics that can be pursued include abdominal ultrasound and urine culture and susceptibility. If there is any concern for lymphoma (due to for example the presence of peripheral lymphadenopathy), I would recommend checking an ionized calcium secondary to lymphoma for example as that could explain the increased renal values and potentially the fever. A CBC would also be helpful to try to see if there is an immature neutrophilia for example that could further support an infectious disease though this can also occur due to cancer to some extent. Thorough fluid therapy is important though again, diagnostics to try to pinpoint the cause of the fever would be crucial. If you are unable to proceed with diagnostics and physical examination does not point out any other possible causes, I would consider using broad-spectrum antibiotics such as enrofloxacin and Clavamox. Best of luck! Feel free to get back to use to further discuss this case.

I’m so sorry for your loss! Depending on the stage of kidney failure, symptoms can include nausea, lethargy, and sometimes pain. However, with appropriate hydration and care, the condition is not necessarily painful or uncomfortable. Seizures are typically not painful, but can be disorienting to a dog. You definitely did the right thing by taking your dog to the emergency room. I apologize again for your loss and hope this helps!

Ultimately, it depends on the underlying cause. If your pet is experiencing hepatic lipidosis (typically caused when not eating) then, yes they can. In order to determine the underlying cause, an abdominal x-ray and or ultrasound would be the best diagnostics. Whitey probably needs a feeding tube, antibiotics, appetite stimulant, and vitamin B12 supplementation. Discuss these diagnostics and treatments with your veterinarian.

This is a very valid question and it is important to consider his overall wellbeing and comfort above and beyond prolonging the length of his life. If he is mobile, greeting family members as he normally would and eating enough (a specialised liver diet and supplements can help to reduce some of the symptoms of poor liver function by reducing the amount of toxins the liver needs to excrete. As long as his appetite is sufficient to prevent significant weight loss then it is likely he is feeling ok in himself. The following link can be very helpful for all family members to sit down together and discuss and can help in the medium term decision making https://vet.osu.edu/vmc/sites/default/files/import/assets/pdf/hospital/companionAnimals/HonoringtheBond/HowDoIKnowWhen.pdf