Our 11.5 year old yellow lab dog has arthritis in both hips
Liver Infection Our 11 and 1/2 year old yellow lab has arthritis in both hips. She has been taking Prevacox. She recently had a blood test to check for liver damage and it came back with elevated white blood cells and elevated hepatic values. She has been put on two antibiotics for two weeks and will then have another blood test. Could the Prevacox have caused the infection or are we looking at something much more serious with the liver?
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By: Kara McCarty El Segundo, CA
Replied on 04/19/2011Unfortunately nonsteroidals can cause problems with the liver and kidneys if given long term. That's why veterinarians like to check bloodwork periodically. I'm glad that your dog's problem was caught before she felt sick. The only way to know what caused your dog's enzymes and white blood cell to climb would be a liver biopsy and even those aren't always definitive. As long as she is feeling well treating as you are and rechecking her enzymes is a good plan at this point. You may want to add a product called SAM-e (S-Adenosyl Methionine) to help her liver heal. Make sure to buy it from a reputable source, use the enteric coated form and give it on an empty stomach. It's a preformed anti-oxidant that the liver normally makes. It is responsible for cell protection, promotes bile secretion and is an anti-oxidant for the liver and other tissues in the body.
If she's not improving in 2 weeks then you might want to consider an abdominal ultrasound to evaluate her liver and possibly collect an aspirate.
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