If your furry friend suffers from elevated liver values, this is usually caused by poor nutrition and stress.
It is important to lower the liver values in the dog, because this organ is the one central metabolic organ of the body and stores nutritional values, hormones and vitamins.
In this article, we will show you what a dog’s liver diet looks like and what you can do.
In a nutshell: What does a liver diet for dogs look like?
For a successful liver diet in dogs, it is important to Balance between the individual ingredients to respect.
These include proteins, a variety of carbohydrates, vegetable fibers, fats, vitamins and minerals.
A fresh diet (BARF) is important for the diet.
The food should be cooked gently and contain around 60% lean, bone and gristle-free meat and 40% fruit and vegetables.
The degree to which liver function is impaired varies from dog to dog, so the diet should always be discussed with the veterinarian.
A liver diet with carrots and other soft-boiled vegetables is recommended for dogs. The liver diet for dogs may contain selected wet food.
How can a liver diet help my dog with liver problems?
The liver diet can help your dog lower liver enzymes and help the liver heal. The liver is the most important organ in metabolism.
She is for them detoxification and recycling of vitamins, minerals, fats, carbohydrates, proteins and vegetable fibers.
The liver is also responsible for the production of bile.
When the liver is damaged, it can cause a variety of problems, including fatigue, weight loss, and indigestion.
If your fur nose is too tired to move, other diseases such as thrombosis can follow.
A liver diet can help alleviate the symptoms of liver problems in dogs and take the strain off the organ.
The diet is primarily about reducing proteins and fats and feeding more carbohydrates and fiber.
A reduced amount of protein is important because the liver is normally responsible for processing proteins.
If the proteins are not properly utilized, an accumulation of metabolic products can occur, which puts additional strain on the liver.
The same applies to fat, which the liver is also responsible for utilising.
An increased amount of carbohydrates and fiber is important because they keep blood sugar levels stable and regulate the digestive system.
An unstable insulin response and digestive problems can put additional strain on the liver. This should be avoided by carbohydrates and fiber.
Which foods should be avoided?
In order to get your furry friend’s liver problems under control, you should avoid high-fat foods and proteins that are difficult to digest, as well as salt.
Because these foods put additional strain on the liver and can lead to other diseases.
You should no longer give your loved one the following foods:
- Raw meat products and offal: They can harbor potentially disease-causing germs and attack an already weakened liver.
- High-fat foods: Treats like liverwurst and cheese put extra strain on the liver and prevent it from healing.
- Salty foods: Treats, bones, and foods high in salt can cause water retention and weaken the liver.
- No coarse grain by-products like oatmeal or wheat bran as they are difficult to digest.
- No high-protein feed and low-quality meat by-products such as B. lungs, mussels, fishmeal and entrails.
In general, proteins and fats should be avoided, as well as hard-to-digest and coarse carbohydrates.
Which foods are recommended?
Above all easily digestible vegetables, lean proteins and light carbohydrates are recommended for the liver diet in dogs.
The following foods can help your four-legged friend get his liver problems under control:
- Carbohydrates that provide easy energy: These include rice, cornstarch, potatoes, and other foods that provide easily digested carbohydrates.
- Highly digestible protein: Low-fat quark, eggs, cottage cheese, poultry and lamb are suitable with a dosage of approx. 2 g per body weight
- Vegetables: Well-cooked and easily digestible vegetables such as spinach, beetroot, celery, broccoli. A liver diet for dogs should include carrots.
- High-quality fat in small quantities: fats are important for the eyes and organs, salmon oil and flaxseed oil are best for your four-legged friend.
- When it comes to a liver diet for dogs, wet food is more suitable than dry food because it is easier to digest.
However, it is important that you use the permitted foods consciously and follow the feeding guidelines of your veterinarian.
2 liver diet recipes for the dog
Your fur nose should about 70 to 100 calories per kg of body weight per day get, with carbohydrates such as rice and potatoes should make up the majority.
Here are a few ideas on how you can spoil your furry friend in a healthy and delicious way and get liver problems under control:
Recipe 1:
- Cook 2.5 cups of rice without salt
- Add three slices of white bread (not toasted).
- 1 teaspoon calcium carbonate
- 1 large, hard-boiled egg without salt
- 250g braised ground beef
It is important to feed small portions a day and several times a day. Don’t give your furry friend this food all at once, but divide it up.
Recipe 2:
- Slice 1.5 cups low-fat cottage cheese (1% fat)
- Cook 3 cups of rice without salt
- Prepare 30 g of cooked beef liver
- Add 1 teaspoon calcium diphosphate, 1 teaspoon corn oil, 250 mg vitamin C, 1 capsule vitamin B complex + iron
Potatoes can be substituted for the rice in both recipes. Recipes are from Nelson & Couto 1998, in Small Animal Internal Medicine.
How quickly can a liver diet lower my dog’s liver values?
It is not clear how quickly the liver values improve as a result of a liver diet. It varies from days to weeks depending on the severity and the dog.
With some dogs, the diet can show initial success after a few days, with some dogs it takes weeks or even months.
Importantly, a liver diet is not a miracle cure or medicine. The diet can relieve symptoms but will not reverse advanced disease.
Liver values can drop after days or weeks, but the disease is likely to persist, at least without medication.
Conclusion
If your fur nose has increased liver values, this is probably from the stress and poor diet.
In many cases, a liver diet can help relieve symptoms. Follow your doctor’s instructions and refrain from patting your dog too much.
Take care of him, but never let his illness become an excuse for less exercise.
Has your fur nose ever had elevated liver values or do you know someone? Then share your experiences with us as a comment.