# Heard back from the vet about Rocky



## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Just got off the phone with the vet. Rocky's liver enzymes are all elevated. I'm going to get a copy of the bloodwork, but there are 4 liver enzymes that were tested. The lowest is double what it should be; the highest is quadruple. So now we know it's something to do with his liver. He's going to be one some medication for a week and then next Friday we'll draw more blood. If the liver enzymes are lower after the medicine I guess we'll know it's less serious and we should continue with the meds. If the liver enzymes are the same we'll know it's something more serious and go from there. I forgot the name of the meds we're starting, I'm about to go get them now.


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## DharmasMom (Jul 4, 2010)

Sending you lots and lots of hugs that Rocky is okay and gets better soon!!


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Hoping for a good turn of events for Rocky.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Good thoughts for Rocky and you!


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## mysweetkaos (Sep 20, 2011)

Hope the medications works. Until then many warm thoughts for you and Rocky.


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## GSDAlphaMom (Jul 20, 2010)

Oh my, we'll keep the positive energy going that it's nothing serious.


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## Josie/Zeus (Nov 6, 2000)

I hope it's nothing serious too. Poor Rocky.


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

Hope the meds do the trick. Good thing you got him in there when you did.


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## Lmilr (Jan 12, 2011)

Hope the medicine works out well. :fingerscrossed:


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Oh no, I hope things get better quickly...


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## Heidigsd (Sep 4, 2004)

Get better soon Rocky :hug:


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## Stella's Mom (Mar 8, 2011)

Good wishes to both of you for a speedy recovery.


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## chicagojosh (Jun 22, 2010)

thoughts and prayers with you and Rocky


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## Jack's Dad (Jun 7, 2011)

The best to you and Rocky.


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## 1sttimeforgsd (Jul 29, 2010)

Hope that the medicine works for Rocky and that he is on the mend.


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

I'm glad you found something and liver disease is treatable (and hopefully that's what it is). Are you putting him on milk thistle? That is extremely important. Perhaps that is what they're giving you. 

Helping the Liver with Milk Thistle Only Natural Pet Store Blog


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

BowWowMeow said:


> I'm glad you found something and liver disease is treatable (and hopefully that's what it is). Are you putting him on milk thistle? That is extremely important. Perhaps that is what they're giving you.
> 
> Helping the Liver with Milk Thistle Only Natural Pet Store Blog


Yeah, he's on Hepato Support and Core Liver, two holistic medications for liver. I know milk thistle figures prominently.


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## DanielleOttoMom (May 11, 2010)

Eeeek! I too hope it's nothing serious and this dissipates with the meds. Sending hugs from Lewisville from Otto, Circe and yours truely. How is he feeling today??


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Rx vitamins is a good brand, I've used them for other supplements. Capsules are good but I wonder if a tincture would be better (more bio-available) in this acute situation? 

Is Core Liver the name of the other supplement? 

Here is an article from WDJ: Milk Thistle - Whole Dog Journal Article

Is he eating? 

Also--SAMe can be amazing for treating liver disease: S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe): An Aid to Managing Liver Disease in Dogs and Cats


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

BowWowMeow said:


> Rx vitamins is a good brand, I've used them for other supplements. Capsules are good but I wonder if a tincture would be better (more bio-available) in this acute situation?
> 
> Is Core Liver the name of the other supplement?
> 
> ...


Core Level Liver by Nutri-West is the other one. I've been giving him chicken and rice or canned food and he's eating it ok. They gave me something, I forgot which one, to help increase his appetite a bit. This holistic vet is loading us down with supps, but I guess that's better than drugs and surgery if it works.


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## tami97 (Sep 15, 2011)

I hope and pray that everything will come out good. Good Lucky Rocky


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

Positive thoughts and wishes for everything to to get better fast for Rocky.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Huh. Okay, I would be gearing up mentally for some things. I tend to skip ahead to the ultrasound. In fact, if he's feeling punky still on Monday, I'd be thinking about getting on top of that. Because if you can see the inside you can know if the supplements are going to work or if they are just poking at it. There is always a chance that an U/S won't catch something (that happened with one of my dogs on his first trip with liver disease) but...those are some high numbers. The liver is really complicated and there are tons of things that could be going on - so that in a way can make you feel better because there are lots of things that it could be. 

Is he jaundiced at all? I've had 2 liver dogs so let me know if there is anything I can do to help. The rescue just had a 10 month old Great Pyr with acute liver failure (who is KW, doing really well after some big time vetting and prayers/good thoughts). I guess he was yellow.

Some links I believe in this thread: http://germanshepherdhome.net/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/123900/1 I will go through and look to see if I can find my liver favorites. If you want.

ETA - if you don't want to click, I would understand - TMI sometimes is TMI: http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/liverdisease.htm
http://canineliverdiseasefoundation.org/
http://www.lbah.com/liver.htm (has a nice little glossary)


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

No, he's not jaundiced. Really, the only symptoms are increased drinking/urination and reduced appetite. He had a checkup with blood work back in July and all his numbers were normal, so I'm wracking my brain to try to figure out if there's anything I've done or changed that might have caused an issue. Since his last blood work, I started him on Zeel and Cholodin Flex and switched from a Chicken-based food with 24% protein to a beef-based food with 28% protein. Would any of those cause such high numbers? 

I'd already visited the canine liver disease foundation; it's a good source of info. It's all kind of overwhelming though. When we go back for his re-check on Friday I'll ask about ultrasound.


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## Anastasia (Oct 7, 2011)

I'm sorry your both going through this. Hopefully he'll be feeling better 24 - 48 hours after his first meds.


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

Praying for Rocky!


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## kelso (Jan 22, 2007)

Sorry to hear Rocky is not feeling himself  Hope he gets better real soon.
Also glad Kopper's nail is fixed up

I am like Jean, would want the ultrasound as well as a plain film abdominal xray sooner than later- should give the vet a great look at the liver ect, which I really think is warranted considering the values are significantly high.

What med was he given to start?
His other values look ok? CBC ect? 

Praying and thinking of you all.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Neither of my own dogs were jaundiced with their liver diseases. The foster dog was because he was in liver failure. There is almost TMI in that liver link, I agree. It makes more sense later I think. 

I don't know what the increased drinking/urination would mean either. 

Both of my dogs had normal values and then surprise elevations with no changes that I had made, because there was a disease process happening. And that's why no matter how good supplements are (and Ava is on supplements now) if there is a disease process...it helps to know it sooner, because I don't believe that they can stop or reverse that on their own. And even if they did improve it by some - what is going on is still what I would want to know.

I have a little old cat and she had some crazy liver numbers, and a diagnosis of something I can't remember: fluids, antibiotics and a hospital stay with other things including some supps, but medical intervention as well, brought her from the brink back and that was a couple of years ago - she's 17 now. So very hopeful - the liver is amazing - you don't need a lot of it and it regenerates, it's the cyborg of internal organs! Not that you want to test it by drinking gallons of alcohol every day - it has its limits - but still amazing and full of hope! 

Kelso has good other questions, too and I agree with her (and she agrees with me so that makes sense, huh?). 

These values are so high. I am keeping you guys in my thoughts. Seriously hopeful for him.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

His numbers from last Friday:

Chem Results *Ref range*
Globulin 4.4  *1.6-3.6*
AST 133 *15-66*
ALT 372 *12-118*
Alk Phophatase 554 * 5-131*
GGT 16 *1-12*
Total Blirubin 1.3 *.1-.3*

Everything else is within normal range.


I asked about an ultrasound but the tech was out today. We're going to get one probably after Thanksgiving. Took blood again today and should hear about the numbers Monday.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

After the course of medications, Rocky's blood panel is almost completely back to normal! :happyboogie: Alk Phosphotase is still a little high, but its in the 240's instead of the 550's. 

I did have them go ahead and run a tick panel to check for tick borne disease and won't hear back about that until after the holiday.

So the question is this: if the tick panel is negative and his blood results are all back to normal, do I go poking around with x-ray, ultrsound, etc., or do I count my blessings and monitor?


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

Glad Rocky's bloodwork is better. What a Nice Thanksgiving gift.


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## 1sttimeforgsd (Jul 29, 2010)

Thats very good news about your handsome boy, hope that his progress continues.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Emoore said:


> I did have them go ahead and run a tick panel to check for tick borne disease and won't hear back about that until after the holiday.
> 
> So the question is this: if the tick panel is negative and his blood results are all back to normal, do I go poking around with x-ray, ultrsound, etc., or do I count my blessings and monitor?


The tick panel came back normal for all tick-borne diseases.

I have no idea where to go from here. I don't know if I should subject him to more tests and procedures and poking and prodding while he's feeling good, or if I should just keep him on the liver support meds and keep monitoring. I just don't know what to do. :help:


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## 1sttimeforgsd (Jul 29, 2010)

Cannot offer any advice, but I only wish the best for your precious boy.


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## mysweetkaos (Sep 20, 2011)

Are his liver #'s his only health concern? That would probably play into my decision as to whether to keep searching or just monitor. I know that's not much help. Glad his #'s went down though.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

Emoore I responded to this on the other board)


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

JakodaCD OA said:


> Emoore I responded to this on the other board)


I saw, thank you.



mysweetkaos said:


> Are his liver #'s his only health concern? That would probably play into my decision as to whether to keep searching or just monitor. I know that's not much help. Glad his #'s went down though.


They are now. When it all started, the whole reason I took him to the vet's in the first place was because he was not eating, vomiting, and drinking/urinating a lot. They ran the blood tests that showed his liver #s were all really high and his platelets were very low. We put him on some holistic liver support and the numbers are back to normal or almost normal. I guess part of me is having a hard time believing that the herbal liver support supps cured whatever was wrong in the first place. I'm hoping we didn't just band-aid the problem.


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## mysweetkaos (Sep 20, 2011)

Emoore said:


> I saw, thank you.
> 
> 
> 
> They are now. When it all started, the whole reason I took him to the vet's in the first place was because he was not eating, vomiting, and drinking/urinating a lot. They ran the blood tests that showed his liver #s were all really high and his platelets were very low. We put him on some holistic liver support and the numbers are back to normal or almost normal. I guess part of me is having a hard time believing that the herbal liver support supps cured whatever was wrong in the first place. I'm hoping we didn't just band-aid the problem.


So he is back to eating/drinking normal with no visible signs? I would probably still do an ultrasound and then maintain periodic checks of his #'s (every 6-8 wks). Not sure what other tests they could do at this point. I tend to overanalyze...so I would probably do those just to set my mind at ease. Glad he is feeling better


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