Prognosis of liver disease primarily depends upon the following factors:

* The type of liver disease – hepatitis, cancer, liver shunt, drug induced or others.
* Primary or secondary – whether the disease originated in the liver or the liver is affected as a fall out of disease elsewhere in the body.
* The time factor – the stage to which the disease has advanced at the time of detection.

A close look at different types of liver diseases is necessary to understand the prognosis of each type.

Male cats are more susceptible to diabetes and so are obese cats of either gender. Genetic predisposition is usually suspected to be behind this condition but steroids and other clinical conditions like a pancreas disease and steroidal drugs used for treating other diseases are also known to cause diabetes. An increased incidence has also been observed in neutered cats above six years old.

Diabetes is a metabolic disease where insufficient insulin production causes the blood sugar levels to rise. As the disease develops within the cat’s body, sugar is revealed in the urine as well. It is a complex disease and symptoms of diabetes in cats can remain concealed for a long time. Many times the disease is discovered when the cat’s blood is checked for another evident disease.

The pancreas in the cat’s body, situated close to the stomach, has two primary functions – that of releasing insulin and enzymes meant for digestion. Due to certain reasons, not yet firmly known to veterinarian science, the pancreas are unable to produce sufficient insulin, necessary for the storage of glucose in the liver and the oxidation of sugar in cells.

Fatty acids, especially oils from coldwater fish, have been recommended in people for lowering triglycerides, reducing secondary cardiovascular disease (and probably primary disease,) decreasing heart arrhythmias, decreasing blood pressure, and improving rheumatoid arthritis. They are also possibly helpful in preventing stroke and treating cancer, allergies, and mild depression. Since fish oil taken for many months can lower vitamin E, most products contain added vitamin E.

In pets, fish oil may be beneficial for heart disease, cancer, allergies, arthritis,kidney disease, and autoimmune diseases. I use high doses (2-4 times the label dose) in my patients and most can have their conventional medications lowered.

Side effects of fatty acid supplementation are rare. Fish oil may decrease platelet aggregation and prolong bleeding time. Contamination of fish meat (not oil) with methylmercury can occur. The human literature reports that fish oil may slightly increase LDL (bad) cholesterol although this does not seem to be common or of any significance in most cases. The human literature also reports multiple cases of bleeding (in the brain) when high dose doses is combined with ginkgo. I have not seen any side effects in my patients except the very rare case in a few dogs that smelled fishy.

The immune system of dogs is a dedicated system that looks after the health of your pet by self-healing. It is also affected by simple factors such as prolonged diseases, reckless use of drugs and an improper diet. It has always been recommended that proper nutrients be provided regularly to dogs for maintaining this complex system. Fish oils and herbs make a perfect combination for a natural approach keeping the immune system healthy.

Cod liver oil is usually favored by veterinarians for it high Vitamin A, D and Omea 3 fatty acid content. Vitamin A is essential for maintaining healthy mucous membranes in eyes and ears. It also keeps the gastrointestinal and uro-genital tracts in proper operable conditions. Vitamin D, on the other hand helps in effective metabolism of calcium, which is essential for maintaining bone density.

Fish oils like cod liver oil are natural sources of Omega 3 fatty acids, which are necessary to maintain overall health. Many commercial diets for dog contain Omega 6 fatty acids in higher than recommended proportions, which can prove to be harmful. The Omega 3 fatty acids in cod liver oil acts as a balancing factor and counters the harmful effects of Omega 6 acids.

Autoimmune diseases in dogs follow an almost similar pattern as in humans. Just as autoimmune diseases in humans are suspected to be related to a genetic predisposition, certain breeds of dogs are more vulnerable than others.

The immune system is the body’s internal and natural self-healing system of reciprocation that comes into action as soon it recognizes an intrusion of foreign bodies. We call a disease as immune mediated when some underlying cause has caused the immune system to stop recognizing foreign substances. The immune system stops creating antibodies for combating the invasion and produces an autoantibody that starts destroying normal cells. Such a disease may be restricted to a single organ or region or the whole animal.

Autoimmune diseases have far reaching consequences depending upon the extent to which they have affected the body of the dog. The pathological signs of multiple autoimmune diseases are normally seen in the same animal since the animal becomes more vulnerable to infections due to a weakened immune system. For example, symptoms of liver disease in dogs as well as feline liver disease are common once the immune system’s automatic responses are restricted.

What is flatulence and what causes it?

Having a pet with flatulence problems can be very embarrassing – not to mention inconvenient, irritating and rather frustrating. But when you think about it, your pet is not having such a great time either.

Flatulence is generally caused by a build-up of gas in the stomach or intestines, which is often a result of undigested fermenting food. Some animals are simply unable to digest certain types of food while others have particular food sensitivities.

Often animals simply gulp air with their food, which then emerges as intestinal gas. Whatever the cause, the animal usually feels very uncomfortable. Flatulence is often accompanied by bloating, abdominal pain, belching and wind.

What is Flatulence Preventer?

PetAlive Flatulence Preventer combines selected herbal and homeopathic ingredients to effectively relieve the symptoms of flatulence, gas, bloating and abdominal cramps.

It may be safely and effectively used for fast relief from flatulence in pets, as well as being of great benefit in the long term treatment and prevention of digestive problems.

Use PetAlive Flatulence Preventer To:

The main problem with feline liver disease is that by the time it starts manifesting specific liver related symptoms, almost two thirds of it has already been affected. This is partly because the liver has a huge reserve capacity and continues to function even after a majority of its cells have been destroyed or weakened and partly because the liver cells have an enormous capacity to regenerate and get back to work. Another possible reason for late detection is the inherent similarity of symptoms of liver disease in dogs and cats with other mild conditions.

The liver is a critical organ that performs numerous and wide range of functions including digestion, metabolism and production of chemical compounds, elimination of wastes and toxins and regulation of immunity functions. Toxins consumed by pets reach the liver almost immediately since there is a direct supply of blood from the gut to the liver. The involvement of the liver in multiple functions also presupposes secondary liver disease in cats and dogs caused by primary conditions like diabetes. Most of the malignant cancers often metastasize to the liver as well.

Certain factors make it is very difficult to diagnose liver disease in dogs .

* Symptoms of liver disease in dogs are difficult to pin point as they are subtle and vague and often mimic those relating to other diseases.
* Liver cells can continue to perform their dedicated functions despite the liver mass being affected.
* The liver has a great reserve capacity.
* The liver can be affected by other diseases as it supports and is supported by many other organs and systems in the body.

All these factors can lead to frustration for a veterinarian to diagnose whether the liver is affected and to what extent. One of the tools that the specialist will use is to get a complete chemistry profile of a blood sample. Although, clinical pathological tests and enzymology play a crucial role in arriving at correct diagnoses, it seldom indicates any deviation from a healthy condition of the liver. Enzymology is a branch of biochemistry that deals with the chemical nature and biological activity of enzymes.

Another factor that complicates diagnosis of liver disease is that the levels of even enzymes that are specific to liver can be disturbed by secondary hepatic disease also.

Liver disease in dogs is a more common occurrence than feline liver disease. Liver has always been a mysterious organ, which performs more functions in maintaining life than any other organ in the body. Its large size with the capacity to continue work even when it is affected by disease makes it difficult to diagnose a liver disease. In addition, given the right support, liver cells can regenerate and bounce back to normal functioning.

One of the major functions of liver is to metabolize fats, carbohydrates and proteins. If the liver does not function properly, the nutrients cannot be metabolized effectively and harmful by-products cannot be broken down. This can greatly affect the detoxification process. For example:

* The bacteria in large intestines produce toxic ammonia while breaking down proteins for absorption in the blood stream.
* When the liver is unable to provide essential nutrients to the body, cells break down body tissue to cover up the loss. Ammonia is also produced during this process.
* Liver disease leads to an inability to detoxify toxins and they enter the blood and circulate throughout the body.
* In severe conditions contaminated blood reaches the brain and causes hepatic encephalopathy leading to fits, seizures, excess salivation and head pressing.

Before understanding the treatment of liver disease in dogs, it is necessary to understand the functions that the liver performs in the body. The liver is the largest and among the most important organs in the body with an immense reserve capacity. Its multiple functions include:

* Regulation of the level of most of the chemicals in the body.
* Production of proteins for blood plasma.
* Conversion of waste products.
* Support in the regulation of fat distribution in the body.
* Production of bile for easy digestion.
* Regulation of amino acid levels.
* Storage of glycogen for later use as an energy source as per need of the body.
* Elimination of toxins from the blood.

Some of its functions are similar to those of other organs, which is one of the reasons that symptoms of liver disease in dogs resemble those caused by minor ailments of other organs.

Dietary modification is crucial for restoring liver functions. Liver cells have an incredible capacity of regeneration if the disease has not aggravated unreasonably. Adequate rest and a nutritional diet can aid in the process of regeneration of cells to a great extent.