liver problem and large dogs

[nohorn]

Is there anyone who had a problem involving the liver of med. to large dogs, like exploratory surgery for cancer or growths and it ended with a good new story and lengthing the life of a dog. I am presented with this problem and I hestitat to spend huge amounts of money on this precious girl. How often are growths on the liver do they become benign as opposed to malignant.

[tamborine]

Liver & kidney failure have been the cause of death to my ageing dogs. Symptoms are lethargy and constant thirst a few weeks to demise with short bursts of energy (remission).

How old is your dog ?

[rowanwitch]

Get your vet to do blood tests for liver problems first...if the liver function still seems ok from this and the dog has not got problems with clotting and seems happy and still is not drinking excessively then it might be better to wait. I would also get a second opinion before putting an animal through major surgery if I wasn't sure about the vet in question. If the dog is old then it might not survive major surgery anyway.

[nohorn]

Yes both good advice. She is 10 y.o. She has no outward symptoms, she has a glossy coat, medium active, excellent appetitie. It is a liver enzyme, that is is high, 3,000. She has had two ultrasounds, the vet thinks the tumor( ?) is on the underside of her liver. Does not look good. The vet is conferring with another vet.

[carmalee]

fingers crossed hey? hope it goes well

[tastymorsel]

Our 10 yr old dog had a tumour on her liver and we had no idea.She started licking her under belly quite a lot but it gave us no cause for alarm as she had a flea allergy that sometimes flared up.Anyway bottom line is that the tumour ruptured and she had to be put to sleep.The vet said that had she been diagnosed earliier she could have been saved.We were devastated that we didn't know she was ill.Please take the tests and get her diagnosed as there is a good chance she can be cured.I hope all goes well for you.Don't we just love the blighters !!!!

[rowanwitch]

Remeber they can remove a big chunk of liver and it can grow back...the only organ that does this...as you have laready had the blood testss sounds like at least exploratory surgery is the next step...hope they can do something for her....