Enlarged Liver in Dogs

My 12 yo, 15 lb Beagle/Chi mix got roundworms. The vet said he had never encountered a dog of this age to have roundworms. He wormed her. Her belly became very swollen that night, I assume her liver, and she was gasping for air. Looking back, I should have had her put to sleep. It was horrific. I would say she was at a critical level for 3 days. One week later she still has trouble breathing. I have noticed signs that her vision was affected. She has gone for a follow up visit and nothing was suggested for additional treatment.
Pain, swollen belly, lethargy. What can I do to help her?
Tramadol, antibiotics, antioxidants

My Apfinpinscher, 11 yrs old developed seizures(he has had 3 in the past 3 months, very mild, recovers in 45 seconds, no shaking just falls over). My vet did blood work, diagnosed heart murmur. Labs ALP 2400 ALT 135 BUN 32 GLU 138 everything else was normal. Ultrasound showed Very large liver, hyperechoic, dilated(R?) 1.3 cm diameter; two subtle mixed echoic, solid masses 1=3.0cm medial lobe; 2=3.7-4cm of the left lateral lobe apex. Also R and L Kidney; multiple tiny corticcal cysts, hyperechoic cortex, pyelectasia. What is the next best step, should he be on a low protein/ low fat diet? What meds could help him? What does all this mean?

I have a beautiful girl Maltese x ten years old.
She has been diagnosed with cancer on her pancreas enlarged liver and spleen. they said they could operate with only a 50 per cent chance as she is prone to pancreatitis. We are trying to keep her comfortable but now she has skin problems, like cradle cap so more tablets.
She is tired all the time and I do feel for her. She is also on Hepatic food to help her liver and supplements as well.
I dont know what else to do for her. I just cant let her go just yet.

In August of 2018, my Beagle had an abdominal xray that showed a mildly enlarged liver. There was no real cause for alarm at the time, but two weeks ago, his appetite slowed, and he began vomiting and having diarrhea, and just not acting like himself. We took him back last week and a new xray showed a very large tumor. An ulratround told us it involved multiple organs including liver and spleen and was inoperable. We took him home and have opted to let him live out whatever good days he has left enjoying his family and his life. My question is, what can we expect in the coming days? Our vet said that his gall bladder was particularly compromised because the tumor is so massive it's just shoving everything out of the way. (tumors are JERKS!) So, what might we look for as far as organ failure? He's so far shown signs of being pretty comfortable, but any advice you can give to help us know when enough is enough, or what we could possibly expect to see happen in the coming days would be so appreciated, thank you.

I have a 9 year old Australian cattle dog jack Russell mutt, female. Two weeks ago, overnight, she became restless and was shaking and panting quite a bit. Started having difficulty walking down the stairs. She progressively became unable to walk seemingly because of pain over the next few hours. We took her to the vet and she had a 103.3 fever, back pain, abdominal pain, delayed response in her back leg. Xrays were normal, tick tests negative, blood results showed high WBC (26.6) with high neutrophils (24206) and high monocytes (1064), high ALT (235) and high ALP (171). They thought maybe liver infection. We had been camping two days before where she had been bitten by ticks (we live in NYC). They gave rimadyl and doxycycline for 2 weeks. She has been drinking more water (waking us up at night to have water) and a bit sore now and then. We finished the prescription this Saturday. We went on a long walk on Sunday and she again struggled to walk, eventually we had to carry her to give her a break. Does Lyme disease or liver infection seem right? We were thinking we would retest her blood in 2 more weeks, giving time for potential Lyme disease to show up.

I just got back from my vet. Stewie my 9yoa Boston terrier had his senior panel done. His alkp was 1766 vet was concerned and wanted an ultrasound. Results came back with an enlarged liver and 1 enlarged adrenal gland and an enlarged heart. He has been slowing down lately pants a lot but great appetite. No weight loss. Still my sweet baby! That want to test for Cushings but I am reluctant. Stewie’s medical history was an intestinal blockage that perforated on table! They told me it was a miracle that he survived the surgery! 1 year later he had another blockage but was manually manipulated and cleared. Not sure where to turn.

My JR Lia has had Cushings for a few years now and we have always managed it not too bad. She is on veterol 40mgms a day.
She has been getting worse lately and after a scan she was shown to have a very enlarged liver and she is anaemic .
She is 13 and I have her home but struggling to get her to eat anything . The vet advised me that her liver is so enlarged that her stomach is squashed hence she is struggling to eat. Her liver function test as not that bad.
This is very distressing as you can imagine can you suggest any thing else that could be done. Thanks Anne

I have a dog that had exrays done and blood work. Everything showed to enlarged liver. Her belly is really swollen. The vet has her on a med for antibiotic, and Denemarin, and Pepcid for stomach. We are waiting to go back in 2 weeks and do another round of blood work to see if any numbers are down. But seems her stomach is getting bigger, will it go down?

Chloe at this time is hospitalized. Her blood work was in normal ranges. We had her wellness exam done in June where the protein in her urine was 4.4. The protein in her urine now is I believe 21.9. She had an ultrasound yesterday where they found that her spleen and liver were enlarged. I believe today they will be preforming an aspiration of both. What exactly will this tell them? What causes this enlargement in both organs especially when the blood work is in normal range? We are worried and don’t know what to expect next.

Is an enlarged liver curable, or reversable? What may have caused it? Benny weighed 10 lb. and had severe arthritis at the base of his spine which affected the nerves in his back legs, making them week. He also had severe pain in his elbow which was thought to be possibly a tumor. X-Ray showed an enlarged liver also. Pain relievers helped with the arthritis and elbow but was given with food and either the med or the food caused horrific pain for about 3-6 hours after eating. I believe it was the liver causing the pain. He would howl and cry the whole time.

All of a sudden, my dog's back legs just stopped working. She was running around outside like she usually does and seemed fine. Then she came up to me to ask for food and seemed happy, when all of a sudden her hind legs just dropped to the floor. She hasn't been able to walk, but otherwise seems fine. We took her to the vet and they said that she has a ruptured disk, but after taking an X-ray, they saw that she had a significantly large liver. They then went on to say that her walking ability may be tied to blood clot or embolism. They're not sure unless they do a MRI, but even with an MRI, they said it would be pointless unless we're willing to have her go into surgery. We don't know what to do at this point as she's older and other issues such as epilepsy and pancreatitis. Please help, any advice would greatly be appreciated! Thank you.

Helloo..my pet has lost weight in a week and refuses to eat and vomits. .took him to a vet but she says that nothing can be done and suggested euthanasia..please help!!

My 14 year old staffordshire terrier mix was diagnosed a few days with Lyme Disease and a UTI. An xray shows an enlarged liver with some excessive enzyme readings, but not the bilirubin according to the vet. Could Lyme cause an enlarged liver? She's on amoxicillin and after the diagnosis the vet reduced her pain meds from 1 carprofen and 4 tramadol daily to 1 carprofen daily. I'm giving her milk thistle and awaiting the shipment of SAMe.

Revised: The only issue that I have had with her are allergies and ear infections. She is currently eating Science Hills light. My pup is overweight 13.8 pounds (she is short)

Original:
My 8 year old Shih Tzu liver enzymes (ALP 745 and ALT 142) were elevated. When this first occurred our vet suggested that we put her on Denamarin for 1 month and retest her. Well after retesting her ALP went up to 1299 but her ALT dropped to 95. Then we referred to go to specialist for an ultrasound. The results did show "Subjectively enlarged Liver no masses or nodules seen slightly heterogenous.Her gall bladder had a mild amount of gravity dependent debris but stated that it "could" be normal. She did suggest testing for Cushings and Lepto. as for now we are treating her with Denamarin and Ursodiol and will recheck in a month. I am thinking of changing her diet ie homemade and was wondering do you have any suggestions on what should or should not be included in her meals.

My 8 year old Shih Tzu liver enzymes (ALP 745 and ALT 142) were elevated. When this first occurred our vet suggested that we put her on Denamarin for 1 month and retest her. Well after retesting her ALP went up to 1299 but her ALT dropped to 95. Then we referred to go to specialist for an ultrasound. The results did show "Subjectively enlarged Liver no masses or nodules seen slightly heterogenous.Her gall bladder had a mild amount of gravity dependent debris but stated that it "could" be normal. She did suggest testing for Cushings and Lepto. as for now we are treating her with Denamarin and Ursodiol and will recheck in a month. I am thinking of changing her diet ie homemade and was wondering do you have any suggestions on what should or should not be included in her meals.

I have a 9 year old Chihuahua who is in CHF, he is on Lasix, Vetmedin and Enalapril. I took him in today because I noticed his belly was full feeling and hard. They took xrays and said his liver is enlarged, but said no fluid was seen and there is nothing they can do for him??? I am confused I know my boy is not in the best of health and his time is limited, but not doing anything? Does that seem right? Can or would Milk Thistle help at all at this point?

My 12 years old Golden Retriever experience poor appetite but extreme intake of water. He also experienced vomiting. I took him to the vet and found out he has an enlarged spleen and an enlarged liver. She gave him an antibiotic which stopped the vomiting. 7 days later he still was not eating sill lethargic. They did blood work and he had elevated enzymes but nothing else. X-ray showed very enlarged liver and possible enlarged spleen. Vet suggythat he may have cancer but to Get and ultrasound. Income is limited. Would getting the ultrasound make any difference on his prognosis? Would treatment for other diseases like poisoning or liver disease improve his quality of life? Would it be wise to get the ultrasound or just let him go naturally?

Our 10 year old cocker spaniel was diagnosed with pancreatitis 4 days ago. She does not seem to be responding to antibiotics and the Tramadol doesn’t appear to be relieving the pain. X-rays have shown an enlarged liver but nothing else. She has previously had cancer three times the last being March 2016 when she had anal gland carcanoma. This was successfully removed but we chose not to follow up with chemotherapy as our vet said that it may only make a difference of six months so why put her through it. Our current vet has told us that if she doesn’t turn the corner tomorrow then decisions will have to be made. We don’t want invasive surgery but is there anything else we can do to find out what is going on? She also has sores all around her mouth, runny eyes and sores on her body. Advice would be appreciated

My 14 year old Bichon, Samantha, suffered sudden symptoms: blindness, increased hunger, panting, and weakness in back legs. The blindness was determined to be SARDS by a vision specialist. Our vet tested for Cushing Disease but the results were "inconclusive". Samantha then started having diarrhea, extremely watery with a bad smell. She has been in this state for 5 months. Over these months she has been treated with numerous diarrhea medicines, non of which have worked.
The vet just did more tests showing an enlarged liver, a growth on the spleen and possible pancreatitis. She has recommended a low fat diet, Tylan powder, OTC probiotics and follow-up test in a month.
My questions: If after the re-test in one month, if there is no change, what type of specialist should I be looking for??
(Samantha is also on Denamarin and Ursodiol for gallbladder, and tramadol for pain.)
Thank you.

My dog husky/shepherd mix had been battling intentional problems for over a year. He would improve after anti-inflammatory treatment. Last week he stopped eating. When checked he was diagnosed with fever & infection. He was put on IV and was given an ultrasound. The ultrasound showed enlarged liver with rounded causal margins. Liver extends to level of umbillicus. Diffusely abnormal texture. Mixed echotexture with hypoechoic & hyperechoic irregular nodules throughout with very minimal normal architecture. He was sent home with metronidazole, Rimadyl & Enrofloxacin. While home he couldn't keep anything down including water which made it difficult to give him his medication. He started having pain & we returned to Vet where they recommended euthanasia. We agreed because of the pain but wondered if he would have been kept on IV with medication, could he have had a chance to survive. Cancer was not confirmed & blood tests were not done.

Are ultrasound readings definitive enough for a diagnosis?

My Maltese is 15 years old with heart disease. The last two days he has not wanted to eat. He is swollen at his belly. I gave him diuretic and he urinated a lot. But tonight I notice him drinking a lot. He is on two meds.

About a week and a half ago I took my dog Kaiser to the vet for a bloated abdomine. After an X-ray of his stomach, the vet concluded that his liver was inlarged which is causing his organs to be pushed back. His blood test came back with a few numbers being high... AST (SGOT) - 114 (HIGH), Alk Phosphate - 290 (HIGH), Platelet count - 457 (HIGH), Amylase - 1225 (HIGH). The vet isn't sure what's wrong with him so we took him home with some medicine 4 days ago and he's only getting more lethargic...

11 yr old Bichon female. She developed SARDS 1 1/2 yrs ago and at that time I had all sorts of tests done to make sure it wasn't anything else - it's such a frustrating disease. Just before she went blind, she developed a ravenous appetite that hasn't changed at all. She also pants a lot and water intake seems normal to high. The panting is worse lately so my vet suggested a bile test and check again for Cushings...we all thought it would be a positive. She showed no sign of Cushing BUT her bile levels were very high even in the resting test. Her after food test was up in the low 100's. She is now booked for an ultrasound to determine what's going on with her. Everything I read about liver problems states a decrease in appetite and this girl is always hungry and never turns down anything. I feed her raw food from Big Country Raw in a duck dinner.
Any thoughts?

My dog has a tumour on his kidney glands, which made his liver really big (they think it makes him have coughing). He drinks and eat a lot. Seem to be ok but I feel his belly is so big (he's a little yorkie) that he must be in pain? When do we know when to put him down?

My 5 1/2 year old Goldendoodle has an enlarged liver, high enzyme levels, "sludge" in her gallbladder, thickening of the duodenum, and some kind of mass on the intestine (which could cause a blockage). We have had bloodwork done, and an ultrasound today and the vet prescribed three meds to treat the liver and gallbladder but my dog can't keep them down. She vomitted and now won't eat anything else. I have had, in previous days, success feeding her cooked chicken but she won't even eat that. We have an x-ray scheduled for tomorrow. If there are no other visible tumors the plan was to check her clotting ability, then proceed with biopsies of liver and mass on the intestine and then, after making sure her blood will clot, remove the section of the intestine with the mass on it. Vet didn't think liver and intestinal mass were related but couldn't tell me the cause of the liver issues. She doesn't seem to be in pain but she is certainly not feeling good either. I am wondering your opinion on how to proceed.

What are causes for an enlarged liver and liver enzymes elevated in blood?

My dog was diagnosed with an enlarged liver, sever anemia (gums almost white), her protean and sugar levels were in the toilet, she was having trouble breathing and had a liquid diarrhea that wasn't followed by any others. In the prior 6 months she had lost the ability to use her hind legs except to balance herself when going to the bathroom (I am attributing this to adequan she was given for early arthritis issues but that is my best guess based on the timeline and research I have done). The dr said there was nothing that could be done and she was out to sleep but everything I have read since says liver issues are treatable. I need to know if the wrong decision was made for my mental sanity. I know I can't go back and change things but I will know if I can trust this vet when I adopt another dog in the future. I keep replaying that day in my head and I just need a second opinion that j couldn't afford that day so I stop questioning myself. Nothing can be changed, but answers will help my mind out this to rest.

My puppy was having fever & bloated belly and Use to groan.. I took her to vet and he said she is having ascites and decided for test but she had no blood only few drops we got from her body and were able to perform hgb tlc & dlc test. the result were- hgb 3.2 and lymphocytes 53% rest everything was ok. Vet gave lasix tab, hepamust liversyrup, iron syrup and injection she was active, eating well but was choosy..after that she suffer diarrhea and she became so weak stopped eating & now she is not able to stand and while walking she is limping ( hardly walking) & crying in pain if her front lymp parts are touched. she can't stand, even can't turn while lying without my help.. She also had rashes and fluid filled pimples in lower abdomin and groin region. Her belly is turning black in color from pink.. Urine- dark yellow, stool from yesterday - semi solid and no loose stool from yesterday because I reduced the iron dose ( From 3 ml to 2 ml) , now no bloated belly & eyes & gums-pale no redness.. She was 5 kg when I first took her to vet now I think she is merly 2.5-3 kg.. Not eating properly only drinks chicken soup which I don't give much coz I fear if she had liver infection...please help me I don't have good vet here, icant loose her, breeder gave me sick puppy but I want to save her.. Also I want to let u know that she is not vaccinated because the day I bought her she was having fever so we were not able to vaccinate her.

My husband and I went on vacation for a week, and our dog stayed with family. He swam a lot during that time, may have had bad scrap foods, and drank salt water. He was found licking his paw and possibly been bitten by a scorpion. He was taken to the ED where he received IV fluids and pain medication. The next day we took him to our vet and had lab work completed. He was put on Meloxidyl. He would not touch his water or food bowl, but luckily I was able to get him to drink water with shredded chicken and wet dog food. This went on for 6 days. He threw up white/foam almost everyday and burps after eating or drinking where sometimes he throws itbup but is able to hold it in. His labs came back with elevated AST, Alk phosphatase, Precision PSL, triglycerides, and cholesterol. He was found to be anemic. A x-ray was completed and one of his liver lobes seemed to be inflamed. He tested negative for tick fever and currently is pending a thyroid panel and Valley Fever. He is tired and not really drinking a lot. He is having normal bowl movements and peeing. Do you know what could cause this?

My 10yo yorkie stopped eating. My vet did some tests and told me she has an enlarged liver, very high enzyme count. Ultrasound was done. Her spleen is also enlarged. During ultrasound the vet sampled fluid around spleen. No cancerous cells. She is lethargic, drinks and pees a lot. Vet is putting her on on cortisone. Says her days are numbered. Should I go for second opinion. Can't do biopsy because of collapsed trachea.

My husky mix has been seen by five different vets in the past few weeks and they are all stumped. She started by showing some head pain, one eye bulging the other receding, and ulcers on both eyes. Soon after see lost her sight. Liver enzymes were slightly raised. The head pain has gone, and after seeing an ophthalmologist the ulcers are healed, but sight hasn't returned most likely due to swollen optic nerves. Most recent vet visit showed very high liver enzymes and an ultra sound showed an enlarged liver but no large tumors, also nothing found by ultra sound behind the eyes. Waiting on liver test results. No real personality changes, except some more lethargy mainly seeming to be due to the blindness.

My Lhasa/Bichon mix is being tested for Addison's disease. She took a turn for the worse this morning, so she is at the vet getting IV fluids and medications. Two days ago, the vet said her liver was slightly enlarged. Now her belly is very distended, and on X-ray, her liver is very enlarged. My vet doesn't want to do a biopsy because, "If it's cancer, why add to your bill?" This is breaking my heart. I need to know that everything is being done to help my baby live and live well.

My whippet who 8 months ago went through removal of an isolated ​Hemangiosarcoma tumor ( determined by a stunned oncologist after 8 post aspiration later) we put him on herbs and eliminated all carbs from his body. With increased stress of moving and depression from the loss of his brother, he started licking the ground, seem to drink less water, slowing down, loosing strength in his hind legs and bloating. Blood test showed he was anemic and had a couple spots on his liver (also shown in blood prior to his previous surgery) An ultrasound showed his liver extremely inflammed, almost purple in color with some little clusters, but again aspiration showed non-cancerous. He is on milk thistle to clean out his liver and yet again another herb to help detoxify. Other than some bad heartworm meds in his first 8-9 years he has been on any other meds. My vet seems at a loss and we are trying the current treatment plan but whereas he is finally eating and his poop has gone from nonexistent, runny yellow/orange to brownish and more shaped and solid, he's still fairly bloated and his hind legs seem to worsen....
Am I just not giving enough time for his liver to detox or is something being over looked.
As previously mentioned he is a bit of an anomili already given the isolated case of the hemangiosarcoma tumor (the oncologist said he was now one in 5 based on a recent study that had come out.) Do you have any thoughts to add?

Our dog Millie is 12 yrs old cocker spaniel. She started going off her hind legs but mainly when standing up from seated position but able to hold her weight once upright. Next she started becoming lethargic and withdrawn going into corners staring ahead bumping in to things walking over her bowls food & water. She then started to loose weight and go off her food (which she was always fond of) She continued to drink a lot of water. Then all of a sudden Millie started having diarrhoea and very loose stools.. we took her to vet who diagnosed liver enlargement after ultrasound although blood tests were normal. The vet suggested putting on diet of chicken .. white fish.. and antibiotics - she continued to be unwell so having returned to the vet she was started on steroids for liver issue and tramadol (for pain relief). Millie sleeps a lot and mostly off her food her weight has slumped to 13kg and is also having sight problems and it appears to be affecting her sense of smell too. She now has watery type bowl movements... disinterested in activities. Millie has now developed a cough too.. I have read your posts in relation to liver issues and I accept that there are many reasons for liver issues in dogs (as in humans) but If Millie's liver is the cause of the issues will the steroids help her to get better ? The vet says because of her liver issues the toxins my be building up and possibly affecting her brain which could be why she becomes disorientated..
Will the liver be able to function enough for her to recover as I want Millie to have every chance of recovery she is so special. thank you ..

She started with Jaundice in February vet prescribed medication that seem to be working but 3 weeks later she had swollen stomach x ray shows fluid in abdomen. Wants her to see internal medicine specialist to see what's wrong. What's your suggestion.

6 yr old yorkie has enlarged liver thru xray..Hes lethargic, shaking, wont bark anymore, drinking and urinating alot and has bloated hard belly..Also breathing hard..We set up ultrasound..Doc thinks liver cancer or in another organ...What about cushings? Any opinions on what this can be would be appreciated...thx

Took my dog to the vet last night due to anorexia, vomiting, lethargy, weight loss. She did blood work that showed mild anemia, and grossly normal liver enzymes. Abdominal films showed an enlarged liver, but no visible tumor, normal heart, no blockage or foreign object. She was unable to diagnose based on these findings and recommended ultrasound, which is not available in the small town we live in. She alluded to the diagnosis being hemangiosarcoma, but couldn't diagnose based on the findings. I just don't want to put my precious boy through a bunch of costly tests, only to find out that it is indeed hemangiosarcoma. I am aware of the prognosis of such diagnosis. My question is, is there any likelihood that it could be something that is treatable? Are these tumors ever benign and treatable with surgery?

Hi. over the last 3 weeks, my 7yr old white pitbull has had jaundice, loss of appetite, white stools, dropped weight and not very active. after 2 ultrasounds from 2 different vets and blood work, his liver enzymes are sky high along with bilirubin. aspirates were taken and showed no signs of cancer. Vet is leading towards bile duct obstruction but exploratory surgery is needed to hopefully find cause as to what is happening. Any thoughts as to what is happenenng?

So my dog's appetite decreased, didn't want to eat even his favorite foods, his belly seemed bloated and had been panting a lot in the evenings when just laying still. I took him to the vet she did x-rays on chest and abdomen found that his heart was slightly large but his liver was extremely enlarged. All blood work came back good. Ultrasound of liver looked like healthy liver. She put him on enalapril maleate and wants to see him back in two weeks. Does poor heart function cause enlarged liver and will this treatment be temporary or will he most likely have to stay on meds for rest of life. He is a 13 year old dachshund.

Hi there, my dog did not finish her breakfast yesterday and was very dull and lathargic the whole day. Took her to the vet and he gave a her injection for constipation and said that she has an enlarged liver. She has not drunk very much since yesterday and has lost her apitite, she has a big belly, but not dehydrated as I'm syringing water in her mouth she is still responsive but not her normal self, is there any advice ? Many thanx

My 13 year old Bichon recently had a complete senior blood work up, urine and stool checks and all the tests came back within normal range. He and I walk about 3 miles a day, his appetite is good and he drinks plenty of water. He sleeps a good bit, but he is after all getting older. My vet says that he has an enlarged liver and wants to send me to a specialist with him. I want to do what is best for the dog, but I honestly cannot afford really costly vet bills right now. I am retired and live on a fixed income. Is it acceptable to take a wait and see attitude since all the other tests are normal at this point?

Hi I have a 11 year old golden doodle and out of no were stopped eating for 2 days and just layed around took him to the vet and said he look ok but his liver felt a bit enlarged did blood work liver enzymes over 1000 wbc high and rbc low. Without any med a day later toby is fine eating going to the bathroom and drinking, although he did lose about 10lbs over the last 7 months and a little weak in the legs he seems to be ok. Toby was put on antibiotics and steroids do u think this will help as we have no way of knowing what is happening without a ultrasound.

Can a vet determine liver damage by extraction of fluid in a dogs swollen belly?

My puppy is 2 1/2 months German Shepherd. The vet suspected hepatitis looking at the symptoms n signs...he had vomiting but the subsided and even loose stools have subsided
The stool is still black in clout but it is solid n no more loose stools ...
The skin around his mouth has a little white patches
He isn't abe to stand on hind legs and we are worried will he not be able to stand at all
I mean he is standing if we help him but he isn't standing on his own