Thinking about euthanizing your dog who has a diagnosis of liver failure is incredibly difficult. In this blog, I give you information addressing the most common questions I have been asked over the last 25 years of conducting dog euthanasia in Tucson. I will provide you information in the following easy to follow order:
- What does the liver do for a dog?
- How is liver disease in dogs diagnosed?
- How is liver disease managed in dogs?
- What are the most common symptoms of liver disease in dogs?
- Prognosis for liver disease in dogs
- When to consider euthanizing a dog with liver disease
What does the liver do for a dog?
The liver is a vital organ carrying out many essential operations for your dog. These essential operations include the following:
- removing toxins and waste products from the blood
- producing essential proteins and blood clotting ensuring your dog
- storing vitamins and minerals
- producing bile
- processing nutrients
The liver is an organ that has the ability to continue functioning even if a portion of it is damaged. What this means is if the liver is not working well, the rest of the liver can carry out the necessary work. Veterinary studies suggest that over 70% of the liver can be damaged before signs of liver disease are noticeable by the dog owner.
How is liver disease in dogs diagnosed?
Liver disease is usually diagnosed through routine lab work that your veterinarian will often recommend for your dog. This is why it is important to follow your veterinarian’s recommendations regarding routine lab work. As liver disease progresses, it can result in significant impairment.
What are the most common symptoms of liver disease in dogs?
These are common symptoms of liver disease in dogs, which can become more severe as your dog’s liver disease worsens:
- nausea or vomiting
- swelling in the legs and feet
- bruising
- jaundice, meaning yellowish coloration of the skin and within the whites of the eyes
- neurological symptoms such as head pressing
- aggression
- dark urine and/or pale stool
- seizures
How is liver disease managed in dogs?
With early liver disease, veterinarians are able to make treatment recommendations. Many dogs will benefit from nutritional supplements, specialized diets, and medications that can help with minimizing clinical symptoms such as nausea.
Prognosis for dogs with liver disease
The life expectancy of a dog with liver failure is highly variable. The reason for this is the large reserve of the liver which allows it to sometimes be highly resilient. Some dogs have mild liver disease that will only progress slowly over years. Other dogs might develop more serious liver disease which will then progress much more rapidly.
When to consider euthanizing a dog with liver disease
There is no one formula that you can use to decide when humane euthanasia for your dog may be called for. It is important for you to methodically assess all of the different factors. Use my quality of life checklist to methodically assess key features of your dog’s current functioning. My checklist also includes key questions you and your family members can use to have the most thoughtful discussions.
From my 25 years of serving as an at-home euthanasia veterinarian, I can tell you that it is much better to let your dog go a week too early than a day too late. Why? You do not want to allow your dog to suffer more than they should. You want the end of any loved one’s life to be as painless as possible.
Having euthanized my own animals, as well as hundreds of others animals, I can tell you that when the time comes, humane euthanasia is a compassionate decision to make. But, many people feel deep guilt, which is why you should reach out to people around you to talk about your thoughts and feelings about this process.
Finally, you will have to decide whether you wish to have your dog euthanized at the clinic or at your home. As a seasoned Tucson in home pet euthanasia service veterinarian, It is becoming increasingly common to have your dog euthanized at home because it is where you and your dog are the most comfortable. If you’re not sure how to find the best at-home euthanasia veterinarian, you can click here to read my article about the 7 questions to ask to find the best at-home euthanasia veterinarian in your area. I hope this article has been helpful!
if you do decide it is best to euthanize your furry loved one, click here to read my tips on Making the euthanasia as respectful and special as possible for you and your loved ones.