Diet for Dogs With Impaired Liver Function

Nutrition for dogs with impaired liver function, i.e. what is the ideal diet for dogs with liver disease? Taking into account the new findings, the recommendation that dogs with liver problems should eat food with reduced protein and fat content is very outdated. And as such, it should remain in the distant past. But there are still many veterinarians and manufacturers of commercial veterinary food that promote exactly that.

Quality proteins and fats are important in the diet of dogs

 An organism in which the work of the liver is disturbed needs the same amount of quality proteins as a healthy organism, in order to function normally. As for fat, its amount should be reduced only in cases of disorders that cause fat malabsorption. Fats are the best and necessary source of energy for carnivores. A special case are dogs that have been diagnosed with a portosystemic shunt, and for them it is mandatory to reduce purine intake, but not reduce protein intake. It is necessary to choose protein sources that contain a small amount of purines, namely: 

• fermented dairy products
• eggs,
• meat, white fish, chicken and turkey.

 fermented milk products and eggs. It is important to emphasize that slightly increased liver enzymes are not always an indicator of liver disease. It is certainly important to control the activity of liver enzymes. If it is not possible to clinically identify any additional symptoms that would indicate liver disease, it is not time to panic, and at least for a drastic change in diet in terms of reducing the amount of protein and fat.

 When is it necessary to reduce protein intake? Reducing the amount of protein in a meal is recommended only in cases of advanced liver disease. When the level of ammonia and other harmful substances in the blood, which the liver failed to remove, cause the so-called liver/hepatic encephalopathy. So, accumulated harmful substances in the blood begin to affect the brain, and the symptoms are: muscle tremors, loss of consciousness, drifting while walking,
walking in circles,
blindness,
changes in behavior, etc.

However, even in this case, reducing the amount of protein must be moderate, because an insufficient amount of protein will cause other problems. For example ascites - accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, which further complicates the work of the liver.
The diet of dogs with impaired liver function should contain moderate amounts of protein and fat that the body can easily digest. It is important to emphasize that proteins from raw meat are much more digestible. They burden the organism much less than proteins from meat that have undergone intensive heat treatment. The same is the case with fats. In order to reduce the resorption of ammonia, a product of protein breakdown, it is preferable to add foods rich in soluble raw fibers to the food, such as oats. However, this is also a recommendation for advanced liver dysfunction. As for the number of meals, it is recommended to feed the dog in as many small meals as possible throughout the day.
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