The Best Dry Dog Food for Liver Disease

Liver diseases are one of the most common health problems seen in dogs and can mimic some conditions such as allergies, inflammatory bowel disease, and aging problems in older dogs.

Liver diseases can also range from anything between infections, inflammation, and obstructions. Essentially, it can be described as any condition that compromises the normal functioning of the hepatic-biliary system in canines. This is a subject for further discussion. For now, let’s look at the different aspects of allergic reactions in French Bulldogs.

Top 10 Best Dry Foods for Dogs with Liver Disease

Canines parents are the most insane loving ones, with all their unique qualities, you really have to love them as they are. Like humans, nutrition is a crucial factor when it comes to the well-being of your most loved companion.

For some dogs, food picking is really a difficult task, because it feels daunting to know exactly what you have to feed them (due to some health challenges). Since most of us are not vets, it is essential that we take time to understand their dietary needs. Not to worry, we’ve reviewed the top 10 best dry food for dogs with liver disease, so, you can choose a trustworthy brand and sleep easily, knowing that you’ve done everything under your control.

Ps: although the weight of the products in question ranges from 5 lb to 50 lb, the standard wetted items are just what will be discussed.

Purina Pro Plan Focus: Best Stomach-Friendly Diet

Most dogs are really playful and easygoing by nature. That’s why good nutrition is key, so they have not only a long but worth living journey. The Pro Plan Focus formula is known for its natural ingredients enhanced with vitamins and minerals. The perfect option for a pooch with a long history of stomach sensitivities.

Features

• Weight is 32lbs
• Calories are as much as 3725Cal/kg
• Content: Antioxidants to support immune system health, salmon, rice, Omega 3
• It helps to support their mobility and joint function.
• It comes in a smaller kibble size for smaller jaws.
• Contrabands: Soy, grain, coloring, etc.

Hill’s Science: Best Skin-Boosting Diet

The whole dog world is a huge community, pet parents all over the share in the same purpose of giving these loving creatures the care they deserve. Helping more than 9 million shelter dogs find permanent homes, Hill’s is a brand that sees the bigger picture, with a purpose. Their adult recipe for small paws takes care of our loved ones in the long run.

Features

• Weight is 30lbs
• Calorie content is up to 3743/kg
• Content: Stomach friendly ingredients for healthy digestion. Fatty acids blend for healthy skin & luxurious coats. Premium sources protein to maintain and develop good levels of muscle. Antioxidants proven by recognized clinics. Prebiotics for digestion

Purina One SmartBlend: Best Immune-Boosting Diet

From the loving welcomes to the unconditional company, dogs are a huge part of our life in the best sense. Smartblend is all about returning that favor through the natural nutritional sources your сanine companion deserves. It is possible to use for small dogs and contains roasted chicken and rice recipe.

Features

• Weight is 40lbs
• Content: Chicken, rice, vitamins, and minerals
• 100% balanced and nature-focused.
• No high fructose corn syrup at all.
• Only real organic flavors, none of that false taste.

Purina Dog Chow: Best Genuine Beef Diet

In a world of thousands of choices, simplicity is like a huge relief, no having to be cautious about every single ingredient of the hundreds is what Purina Dog Chow is all about. Stop worrying about hidden components or fake beef, and have a good night sleep, knowing that your four-legged friend is not at risk of an allergic reaction or sudden vomiting.

Features

• Weight is 46lbs
• Content: Beef, vitamins and veggies
• Antioxidants come from an all-natural source to avoid inflammation.

Purina Pro Plan Savor: Best Diet for Immuno-Compromised Dogs

This is probably one of the most ideal regimen to offer a dog, if he/she has immuno-compromisation, or often experiences indigestion and other tummy issues. It is also suitable for those who suffer the persistent challenge of fighting infections on their own. This diet works well with the right immune improvement nutrients including probiotics and prebiotics.

Features

• Weight is 47lbs
• Content: genuine chicken that has been perfectly shredded, Omega 3 oils and rice
• Probiotics are part of the plan and effectively increase immunity against most infections

Eukanuba: Best Energy-Rich Diet

Eukanuba active is an adult-dog-friendly recipe designed practically for the restoration of energy stores. It’s best for canines up to 15 months old or who weigh at least 55lbs. The ingredients comprise a complete mix of high-quality proteins, carbs, vitamins, and some antioxidants.

Features

• Weight is 33lbs
• Content: proteins, carbohydrates, glutathione, vitamins, and energy-filled grains
• High-quality fats are included in the regimen

Nutro: Best Farm-Raised Diet

For pet owners who absolutely want to make sure they provide a unique selection of farm-raised meat sources to their pooched, this is the right place to start. This product contains real chicken and other essential condiments.

Features

• Weight is 30lb
• Content: genuine chicken, sweet potatoes, Vit E, veggies
• Minerals are included in the diet

Wellness: Best Weight Reduction and Sizeable Kibble

Searching for the right weight loss diet is an even greater challenge for pet parents. Wellness is known for its ability to maintain/reduce weight in overweight dogs. Quality is premium and, at the same time, it does not contain grain forms or additives as components.

Features

• Weight is 30lb
• Content: white potatoes, flaxseed, potatoes, peas, turkey
• Other ingredients include crude proteins, Omega-3 oils, minerals and vitamins
• No fillers or fake flavors

Purina Beyond: Best Poultry-Sourced Food

This one of the leading products in terms of poultry-farmed dog foods. It is made with all-natural and balanced nutrients. The chicken is tender and dogs love the meaty flavors.

Features

• Weight is 23lbs
• Calorie is 3924Cal/kg
• Content: wholly white meat (chicken) and egg recipe
• Grain-free

Earthborn Holistic: Best Lamb Meat Regimen

This contains a healthy bison meal. It offers a lot of proteins to dogs for lean muscle development. All the nutrients are well-balanced and serve as sustainable fuels for canines.

Features

• Weight is 28lbs
• Content: lean meat (lamb), eggs, vegetables, fruits.

At present, liver disease in dogs is at the top of the fifth rank. This means that a lot of dogs are experiencing it in one form or another. According to AFFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials), more liver-related diseases are caused by the build-up of copper in dogs.

More so, while a good number of the dogs tested were found to be naturally predisposed to the accumulation of copper (predominant in storage diseases), a significant proportion of the group surveyed had no genetic (hereditary / breed-associated) susceptibility to copper storage diseases. In total, 25 percent of Labrador Retrievers recorded concentrations of copper in excess of 1,000 micrograms per litre.

Should You be worried?

The correct answer is that it depends on a few factors. Let’s have a look at what’s on the list.

• Hereditary predisposition: Genetics plays a central role in the susceptibility of dogs to liver problems. For example, canine copper hepatotoxicosis (copper storage disease) is an inborn metabolic disorder that causes dogs to store copper— which, in turn, compensates for damage, particularly at high levels. In the presence of this indisposition, there are no liver enzymes needed to break down excess copper. Therefore, the onset of the disease. In addition, liver disease is more commonly seen in female dogs than in male counterparts. Another group of disorders that can be passed down to generations of dogs is called autoimmune disease.
• Diet: It’s not a brainer to understand how over-processed foods have a negative impact on your companions. These kinds of diets contain substantial amounts of additives, fillers, and colors that can be added as toxins. The effect becomes apparent after a long period of administration. Also, grains are known to cause additional problems, both in the stomach and liver. Let’s not forget high-fat foods that saturate the blood and make it increasingly difficult for the liver to flush.
• Dog’s age: Senior dogs (7 years and older) are known to have experienced disturbing changes in their health. This should be expected of the dog owner. The problem is not with their occurrence, but with the proper management.
• Breed: Small breed dogs have been shown to have higher chances of developing liver disease. The reason is that they are connected to their weak immune system. French bulldogs, for example, tend to react more quickly to certain regimens — this is not linked to hypersensitivity.
• History of liver infection (hepatitis or others): If your pooch has already had an episode of liver disease, there is a risk of recurrence. Sometimes, it may be a relapse of a previous illness, and sometimes it may be a new ailment.
• Environment: Dogs grown in chemically polluted environments have more liver damage than dogs bred in healthy, pollutant-free environments. As happens, chemicals in drugs, sprays (detanglers) and treatments are likely to be bad guys that can damage the liver.

How Does Liver Disease Start?

Like any organ in a dog’s body, the liver plays a vital role in maintaining balanced health. The liver detoxifies the blood on its own. This is a fancy way of saying that the liver is primarily responsible for removing toxins and other harmful substances from the body.

If the function is broken, these waste products are left in the body for a longer period of time— usually longer than the body can tolerate. As a result, the overload begins to affect not only the physiology of the liver, but also the physiology of important organs such as the heart, kidneys, and brain.

Detoxification involves two main processes; the conversion of fat-soluble fats into water-soluble substances that can be easily digested; and second role incorporates the release of enzymes to facilitate the breaking down process.

Besides detoxification, several significant …. are controlled by the hepatic system. These could be:

1. Controls the production of water-soluble vitamins including A, D, E, K
2. Helps in the stimulation of nutrients, the part of which control other functions
3. Participates in blood clotting by making plasma proteins

What are the Causes of Liver Disease?

There are different causes for liver disease in dogs. First, there are idiopathic (unknown) and non-idiopathic causes of liver disease. An example of the former involves autoimmune diseases of the liver. We’re going to take a broad look at the full classification of known causes.

According to the Location of the Disease Process

This is based on the fact that the on-going disease can be seen before, inside and after the liver. These could therefore be: prehepatic (increased pressure of the veins that drain into the liver), hepatic (disease processes that directly affect the liver tissue, e.g. hepatitis, infections (bacterial, viral, fungal, etc.) and post-hepatic (any form of obstruction that prevents toxic substances from being filtered out of the liver, e.g. tumors, cysts, stones).

According to Disease Stimulating Factors

These include, but are not limited to, physical (tumors, hernias, accidents that exert physical pressure on the liver cells and tissues that can lead to damage), chemical (especially caused by antibiotics, pain-relieving tablets, cancer treatment drugs, and drugs for the treatment of psychological disorders such as depression and dementia), physiological (according to other underlying chronic illnesses eg Diabetes Mellitus, pancreatic diseases, and increased blood pressure).

Signs and Symptoms of Liver Disease in Dogs

Liver disease takes on various forms of canine manifestations. The signs are those physical manifestations you can see just by looking at your dog, while the symptoms are internalized manifestations that only the dog feels. In relation to the body system affected, the symptoms of liver disease may be as follows:

• Gastrointestinal: Stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, bloating, constipation, emaciation (weight loss), and anorexia (loss of appetite)
• Musculoskeletal: Persistent fatigue and difficulties with walking

• Psychological: Dementia (memory loss), depression, irritability, aggression, and anxiety
• Urinary system: Urine incontinence (frequent urination) and increased thirst (because the body needs to replenish fluid loss from urine excretion)
• Symptoms directly due to liver malfunction: brittle nails and flaky hair (because the liver stops to produce enough proteins to maintain the nail and hair), sudden bleeding or inability of wounds to heal fast (plasma proteins from the liver are required for proper wound healing)

The basic signs of liver disease (progressed/severe)

1. Jaundice (yellowing of the eyes (sclera), gums or skin
2. Ascites (swelling of the stomach as a result of fluid build u)
3. Bloody diarrhea
4. Change in the color of stool or urine (stool can be yellow-green, orange or colorless while urine may become dark-colored)

How to Prevent Liver Diseases

Let’s start with a word of caution to all dog parents: If you suspect or it has been confirmed that a particular dog food/drug is maybe a possible cause of liver disease onset, desist from giving this to your pet IMMEDIATELY, whether or not he/she is showing some symptoms.

Follow-up preventive actions will use dietary restrictions as their mainstay. Here’s what it means:

Protein (Amino Acid) Restriction)

Overtime during active liver disease, the biggest problem with the liver is the ability to manage excess protein ammonia. So, it’s a good idea to control your dog’s protein intake at this time. If ammonia is left to build-up to an optimal level, it can trigger a fatal condition called hepatic encephalopathy in dogs. Understandably, dog parents may not know to what extent to cut proteins, so it is recommended that you consult a dog dietician or a vet who can help you figure this out.

Copper Restriction

Four-legged friends who have a genetic predisposition to copper storage should be food copper-free foods. Continuous intake of copper-rich substances can further complicate the disease process.

Fat-Diet (saturated) Restriction

Converting fats into water-soluble elements that the body actually needs takes its toll on the liver. It’s better to supply dogs with unsaturated fatty acid food that can simply be changed

Fluid Restriction

Since part of the challenge in liver disease is fluid overload, reducing water intake (only during active disease) is necessary in order to avoid compromising not only the liver but also the kidney function.

Note: Do not embark on any preventive action without first seeking medical assistance. In as much as you suspect that your dog may have liver disease, professional attention is vital to make the right diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment.

Dietary Replacements

Before taking on this step, remove any toxins (dietary, medicinal or environmental). Replacements are only natural because your dog still needs specific nutrients to function well.

• Replace whole-grain foods with grainless options
• Supplement vitamin and mineral sources with plenty of fruits and vegetables
• Change carbs to slow-releasing sugar choices eg sweet potato
• Give your dog liver diets (chicken liver is a great one
• Move to only high-quality protein sources
• Antioxidants and probiotics will come in handy
• Give milk thistle

Treatment

The treatment of liver diseases more or less depends on how far off the process has gone. On this, there can be treatment for mild or moderate liver disease and severe liver disease or failure.

Mild to Moderate

• Lifestyle changes: includes strict curative diet, exercise and complete removal of toxins food and the dog’s surroundīngs.
• Therapeutic: use of medications like hepatoprotective drugs. Replacement of drugs that worsen the disease state with variants that have fewer side effects is welcome. Finally,

Severe to Liver Failure

• Blood cleansing: involves techniques such as plasmapheresis and dialysis targeted at detoxifying the blood.
• Surgery: can be conducted in cases of tumors, cysts, cancer, to preserve the healthy part of the organ.

What Happens Next?

The prognosis (disease outcome) of liver malfunction largely falls on the shoulders of time―at what stage was it found out and how much damage has been conceived at the stage?

The weight of it is based on the speed of diagnosis of liver disease in dogs because almost every dog will initially show nonspecific symptoms (e.g. stomach problems) and is therefore difficult to diagnose.

Based on that, there can be the following outcomes:

• Favorable: partial or complete reverse of the disease
• Unfavorable: progression into hepatic encephalopathy, coma, and death.

Conclusion

Aging and certain health conditions are inevitable in dogs. The good news is that while so many life-threatening ailments face them every day, there are just as many preventive and curative approaches that pet parents can always take advantage of.

All in all, give your companion a great deal of love and care: that is the most precious act and the best we can do.