Welcome

We here at the Canine Liver Disease Foundation would like to welcome you to our website. This site was created in memory of my Golden Retriever, Reiley, who passed away suddenly in October of 2008 only 2 weeks after receiving the diagnosis of liver disease. While scouring the internet to find out all I could about this disease, I discovered that the information available was scarce, scattered among several different sites and was not always complete. I decided to create this site to provide all of the information I had been looking for on ONE site.

Our goal is to compile the most relevant and timely information about canine liver disease to help pet owners searching for resources, treatment options and inspirational stories. Please browse through all of our topics and let us know if there is something else you would like us to feature, or if you would like to contribute your story to our blog.

Thank You,


Disclaimer: The Canine Liver Disease Foundation assumes no liability for injury to you or your pet incurred by following the information, descriptions, treatment options or procedures listed on this site. This site is not intended to be used as a replacement for veterinary advice or consultation. We always recommend speaking with a veterinarian or liver specialist before attempting to use any of the treatments listed on our site.

The Canine Liver Disease Foundation does not endorse, support or have affiliations with any company, product, or individual featured on our blog. This blog is for informational purposes ONLY and is not intended to be a recommendation for treatment. Links are chosen based on “key words” and listed here with the link to the entire article. For questions regarding individual posts, please contact the author of that specific post.

From the Blog

A Touching Memorial Poem

This message was posted to one of the Canine Liver Disease Yahoo Groups that I belong to and I really loved the sentiment so I thought I would post it here for everyone to read. When I was a puppy I was very much afraid Then I met you And I knew I belonged to someone who would always care When I was a young dog I did some things to try you And you would sometimes get angry, but in the end You never stopped loving me. When I was a grown up dog Oh, the fun we had! I think I loved the hose no, the ball, no, agility class Well, it all was so wonderful, to spend my happiest and best days with you. When I was a middle aged dog You understood when I could not do the things I once could When I would tire on a walk How I loved to be carried home safely in your arms When I became an older dog I could see my whole life in your eyes. You were so loving and patient And I loved nothing more than to just lie quietly with you When I became a sick dog Oh the sadness we both felt But how you cared for me Oh,... [Read more of this story]

Elevated Liver Enzymes

A year ago at Jake’s annual checkup a senior panel was done and his Alk Phos level was elevated at 360. We had follow up 3 and 4 month follow up testing and it was unchanged. No other values were elevated at that time. We had our annual checkup last week and the results of his liver enzyme panel were not good. This time not only was the alk phos elevated to 662 but his ast and alt levels were also elevated, 289 and 687 respectfully. Obviously this was very disheartening as he is clinically asymptomatic. He shows no signs of any problems associated with these results. I immediately got on the internet and started reading to understand more about the potential for liver disease and found your foundation website. I wanted to tap into your experience and knowledge and hopefully get some feedback from you. We have an appointment Monday for xrays. My concern is this is the first time other enzyme levels have been elevated and could this be a fluke or testing error!! I found... [Read more of this story]

Memorial Writing

Someone posted this nice memorial to a Canine Liver Disease group that I belong to. I thought it was very well written and poignant Written and © copyrighted by Terri Onorato I know what you’re thinking. You think I’m dead. Because you cannot see me with your human eyes, cannot feel me with your hands or hold me in your arms you think I am gone forever. You recall how I looked when I left this earth and you cannot remotely imagine that I am alive in another place. You are racked and torn by the pain of our separation and it blinds you to that which is right in front of you…me. How many times since I left your immediate sight have you been told that I’m dead and you should “get over it”? How many times have you cried yourself to sleep because you feel like an outcast, believing you’re supposed to get over me because that’s what people say is normal but somehow you can’t and no one seems to understand? How many times have you put yourself... [Read more of this story]

Lassie Forever in Our Hearts

Lassie Forever in our Hearts September 10, 2004 - February 22, 2009 4 years 5 months and 12 days My Dear Friends, It’s a beautiful day in heaven at the rainbow bridge and all the angels are feeling very happy. They have a new companion to play with and of course adore. Lassie crossed over to the rainbow bridge at 12:20pm Dogster time (PST) on February 22, 2009. I am happy that she is with the angels and Jesus is watching over her as always. I am happy to be Lassie’s mommy as she made me proud even in her very last moment. We had taken Lassie to the vet in morning yesterday as she was increasingly getting weak and was having trouble walking. She was not eating nor drinking. When we reach the clinic the normal occurrence is that she can’t wait for the car door to be opened. But this day was different. She could barely move. We had to call the nurse to help us carry her into the clinic. The vet advised us to let her go but I guess that was not a very easy decision for us to make. The... [Read more of this story]

Can Someone Help Me?

I am attempting to look for an underlying cause of liver disease in our 10 year old Scottish Terrior. Two years ago, she became very sick at her stomach after having her teeth cleaned. Coincidentally, this was also the time perimeter of the dog food scare. (The food she was eating was not on any of the lists publicized.) I have been assured by more than one source that if she had experienced an episode from the dental cleaning, the liver would not have continued to deteriorate over this course of time. The blood work found that her liver enzymes were grossly abnormal. Radiography was performed and we were advised to have an ultrasound. The ultrasound found that her gall bladder was enlarged and we were referred to UT Vet Hospital in Knoxville for possible emergency surgery and further diagnosis. UT did not see the urgency with the gall bladder and she was hospitalized and monitered for a couple of days. She was released feeling well. A couple of months later, her liver enzymes continued... [Read more of this story]

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