The liver is one of the most important organs in the body and a healthy liver is crucial to the well-being of a dog or cat.Signs of liver problems usually include pale stools, sickness, diarrhea and ultimately a refusal of food. severe liver disease may mean dark stools accompanied by blood.
The first thing to do is to abstain from giving food for 24 hours administering liquids only. It is imperative to feed very pure, organic, non-fat meals. For felines you should give lean cooked chicken or turkey, free range egg yolks with a little porridge (oats) and grated raw green vegetables such as broccoli. A little beetroot, parsley, garlic, dandelion or milk thistle may also be helpful.
For canines you can help by feeding a high fibre/low fat diet with plenty of fish, chicken or turkey, wholemeal bread and brown rice and by avoiding milk, and red meat. Sesame seeds are a particularly good source of lecithin which is vital for the liver, so you can sprinkle some seeds or add tahini to flavour dishes. Extra bulk and fibre can be made up with oatbran or rice bran and wheatgerm. As for cats a little beetroot, parsley, garlic, dandelion or milk thistle may also be beneficial. Fasting once as week can be helpful and the only drinks should be bottled water or barley water and honey. Sunshine may also be helpful to a dog or cat with impaired liver function.
Nutritionally: Vitamin C (500-1000mg) depending upon the size of the animal) coenzyme Q10 – 10mg, cod-liver oil (quarter of a teaspoon), digestive enzymes and aloe vera could be beneficial.
Homeopathically: George MacLeod recommends phosphorus if the stools are clay-coloured and chelidonium if the faeces are golden yellow. He suggests lycopodium for more chronic cases, berberis if there is jaundice with putty-like stools. For cirrhosis when there is constipation, sickness and fluid in the stomach he recommends (apart from phosphorus, lycopodium and berberis) carduus mar which is known to be good for this condition, and ptelea which may act like a drainage remedy.
Herbally: Give echinacea or camomile and mix diced dandelion leaves in with the food. Alternatively, silmarin (Milk Thistle) is a good tonic.
Alexandra Bastedo is the founder of the ABC Animal Sanctuary at www.abcanimalsanctuary.co.uk which relies upon donations however small to help with its rescue work, Always passionate about animals she is also a patron of Compassion in World Farming, Naturewatch, Wildlifeaid and the Animal Welfare Trust , Greyhounds in Need and Gibraltar Cat Rescue and President of Cat and Rabbit Rescue and Vice President of Brent Lodge Bird Hospital, Chichester and Paws Animal Sanctuary at Findon.
Her vet recommended “The Healthy Cat” and “The Healthy Dog” books of which we have a few remaining copies are available from our website shop.
Copyright Alexandra Bastedo.
