My Dog Has Liver Disease How Long Will He Live?
The liver of the dog is a powerhouse that metabolizes fats and carbohydrates and also breaks down the body toxins, it produces proteins, bile along cholesterol. The problem with the liver is that it is easily susceptible to illnesses. As it does its job all day and night, it might get damaged if it is not taken care of properly. The liver disease of the dog reduces the life of your dog. The longer time the disease is left untreated the more damage to the liver. However, the liver can generate new tissues.
Check for Symptoms
The first symptom which you might see in your dog if the liver is not working properly is jaundice. The eyes would have a yellow hue, along with mucus membranes and skin showing that his liver is not healthy. The other problems your dog might face are vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy & loss of appetite.
You can consult a vet and they will diagnose and narrow down the problem for you. They would let you know what kind of problem your dog has got in the liver. The main reasons for a liver disease that can be seen in many dogs include infection, trauma, portosystemic shunts, cancer & cirrhosis.
Acute Liver Failure
Suddenly if a dog loses 70% or more of its capability to work due to the death of the tissues, then the dog would suffer from severe liver failure. There are many reasons why the dog might suffer from acute liver failure, and suffer in different ways. Mostly the dog would lose appetite and would start to vomit.
If you see that the dog is suffering from severe liver failure, then make sure you consult the vet as soon as possible and get the veterinary treatment that is required. He must receive saline therapy, along with medication and the best treatment which would make his body system stabilize.
As soon as the dog gets a veterinary treatment and gets treated it would allow your dog to recover fast. However, you can just pray that they get through the tough time, and later on, according to his/her prognosis, you need to address the main reason for the failure of the liver.
Cancer & Liver
There can be multiple types of cancer of the liver which can affect your dog. The most common signs are anorexia, loss of coordination, lethargy, vomiting, it also includes excessive urination & thirst, accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, weakness & seizures.
The liver tumors which are most commonly found are Hepatocellular carcinoma. Lobectomy is how the cancer is usually treated and may depend on the prognosis which may vary from poor to good, the treatment usually depends on how far cancer might have spread. Your dog may survive for a couple of months to a maximum of three years, depending on the condition and the situation of the tumor.
Dogs who suffer from bile duct tumors don’t survive more than 6 months after they go through the surgery, because cancer comes back & metastasize. Some other types of liver cancers such as hepatic sarcomas & neuroendocrine tumors are also very aggressive and metastasize.
Liver Cirrhosis
Liver Cirrhosis can be considered as the final stage of acute liver disease and the dog suffers a lot because of cirrhosis. At the end-stage, the scar tissue starts to change the healthy tissues of the liver and disrupts the functioning cells. The liver then can’t work properly at all and requires vet care from this point on so that they can live their rest of the life with medication and proper treatment during their final months.
Surviving With Chronic Hepatitis
When your pet suffers from liver inflammation, he has chronic hepatitis. Your dog may suffer from chronic hepatitis due to several reasons such as exposure to toxins repeatedly and infections. However, in most cases, it is too late to understand that the dog is suffering from chronic hepatitis or not.
