Q.I have a 3½-year-old sheltie. I have been told she has an enlarged liver. Two other dogs at the same vet clinic have liver disease. Is this happening more and more? Has her diet caused the problem? She eats Ceasar and dried chicken jerky, plus Alpo dog bones. What can I expect with this?

 

A.Yes, in my experience, this is happening more frequently. I commonly see elevated liver enzymes, even in dogs under eight months of age. Keep in mind that elevated liver enzymes, as with the body producing a fever, doesn’t necessarily mean something bad. The liver has major functions to perform for the body, and the enzymes are “helpers” or “good guys”.

I can not say definitively that your sheltie’s problem was caused by diet. But you should be feeding the highest quality diet possible. One possible contributing factor is vaccines — it has been demonstrated that liver enzymes can be markedly elevated after vaccinations.

Four of the more common items we use for liver support are Marin and Denosyl by the Nutramax company, glandular Hepatrophin by Standard Process Labs, and homeopathic Liver Gall Bladder Drops by Professional Complementary Health.

With the right approach, there’s a good change your sheltie will do well.