# ***Anxiously awaiting Lab results!😳***



## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

Hi! Leo had has annual check up and lab work up yesterday and Mimi had her ALT liver enzyme recheck so today we are expecting to hear back from the vet.

I'm really nervous since mimi has had an elevated ALT since before she was a year old when we did her presurgical lab work for her spay. Granted it finally started trending down the last check up, it was still high. We started her on a new supplement called liquid hepato which was recommended by a friend going through the same thing with her 2lb chi. 

Leo got his 3 year rabies too, we skipped it last year. He did great yesterday and walking and shopping with us but this morning he's not doing well. He keeps screaming in pain when we touch him or try to pick him up. I even tried petting him on the ground and he was screaming. I feel so bad for him, poor little guy! I will definitely let the vet know as soon as she calls me.

Keep us in your thoughts please! 

Patiently waiting to see my doctor! 


Having lunch with our aunt Leslie and sister Alice! 


Leo's thoughts on getting his rabies!


Shopping with mama!!




All tuckered out!!


Random post:
Visiting our neighbor Max, my sister babysit him, and he is my favorite little man! He's one of our ring bearers!! He was carrying my purse around saying he's gotta go, he has lots of work to do!! Lol!


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## Chiluv04 (Dec 19, 2013)

I hope you get some great news. That pic of Leo under the bench is too funny😊. The pups look great and looks like they had a fun time.


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

Chiluv04 said:


> I hope you get some great news. That pic of Leo under the bench is too funny😊. The pups look great and looks like they had a fun time.


Thanks Meoshia! I hope they call me soon, I'm starting to get nauseous thinking about it. 
It was a nice day but just a little too hot!


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## Alula (Feb 3, 2013)

Fingers crossed for good news sweetie! I am so bad with waiting, it just makes me so anxious. I am sure Meemers results will be good if they were already declining xxx


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## michele (Jan 12, 2009)

Hope it's all good news for you


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

So we got our results and they were not good unfortunately. Last time her alt was 280 and now they are back up to 325. initially I was sick to my stomach, felt like a slap in the face bc we give her supplements, 5 star kibble, freeze dried raw, coconut oil,, the works! 
My vet diagnosed her with micro vascular dysplasia. I already called my breeder to let her know. Amazingly enough, we found out mimi's sister Alice has it too! Jen (breeder) doesn't seem convinced and asked me to send all my labs/tests to her vet which is fine.
I am so lucky to have my friend Leslie in my life, who has a Maltese with MVD too who has normal alt now and she's going to help us manage it.

We decided to switch mimi's food so hopefully she likes it! I tried THK years ago but Lola wouldn't touch it.
Here she is showing off her new food:




Anyone try THK?? Opinions? I would love to hear experiences! !
Leslie said we need to lower the protein and get her on a "cleaner" food than kibble. Wish us luck!!


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

So sorry to hear the results are still high, hon. I was so hoping they would have come down some more. What has helped Roo (the only thing that has helped) is a low protein diet which she was on for about 6 months and every blood test has been completely normal during that time. A feat considering her ALT was as high as 645 and is now 56.

Raw is completely out for Roo, whenever she eats it her ALT skyrockets. It's a great diet for healthy dogs, but it's not always the right diet for dogs with health and liver issues even though I know some people don't agree. I can only go by what I see work and not work for Roo in her particular case. I've currently switched her over to a homemade diet (switching between whitefish and turkey generally with potatoes and various other things) and I'm trying that for a month to see how it goes.

I really hope the new diet goes well for Mimi. I tried Roo on THK recently but she didn't like it, unfortunately. She's a fairly fussy eater though. I hope you have better luck with Mimi liking it. Best of luck with everything.  xx


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## michele (Jan 12, 2009)

I'm so sorry,i wish you both the best of luck.


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## Chiluv04 (Dec 19, 2013)

So sorry to hear about Mimi. I didn't know what MVD was, had to look it up online. It's very confusing for me to understand but I kind of get it. It did say that's it's common and small breeds like Maltese and Yorkies. I really hope for the best for Mimi. Try not to stress and worry yourself too much. And keep us all informed.


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## Angel1210 (Mar 14, 2011)

So sorry Zorana. I hope you get her levels under control. I was feeding THK for a few years. I just recently ran out and due to "financial cutbacks" I didn't buy any this month. But I fed Embark and both dogs loved it!


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

foggy said:


> So sorry to hear the results are still high, hon. I was so hoping they would have come down some more. What has helped Roo (the only thing that has helped) is a low protein diet which she was on for about 6 months and every blood test has been completely normal during that time. A feat considering her ALT was as high as 645 and is now 56.
> 
> Raw is completely out for Roo, whenever she eats it her ALT skyrockets. It's a great diet for healthy dogs, but it's not always the right diet for dogs with health and liver issues even though I know some people don't agree. I can only go by what I see work and not work for Roo in her particular case. I've currently switched her over to a homemade diet (switching between whitefish and turkey generally with potatoes and various other things) and I'm trying that for a month to see how it goes.
> 
> I really hope the new diet goes well for Mimi. I tried Roo on THK recently but she didn't like it, unfortunately. She's a fairly fussy eater though. I hope you have better luck with Mimi liking it. Best of luck with everything.  xx


Hi Paula! I was just going to fb message you! I was really hoping for some good news just like Roo had! 
I completely agree raw is not for everyone! I'm going to give thk a shot, if she will even eat it! If she doesn't, i'm going to try frozen raw w thk without the protein. If that fails or doesn't lower her alt, i'm going to try what u have Roo on!! I won't give up!! Please let me know how the home cooked diet goes! 

And thank u so much for always being here for Mimi and I! We love you!


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

michele said:


> I'm so sorry,i wish you both the best of luck.


Thank you Michele! Appreciate it!


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

Chiluv04 said:


> So sorry to hear about Mimi. I didn't know what MVD was, had to look it up online. It's very confusing for me to understand but I kind of get it. It did say that's it's common and small breeds like Maltese and Yorkies. I really hope for the best for Mimi. Try not to stress and worry yourself too much. And keep us all informed.


I'm trying to hang in there! She's such a happy and healthy girl, I would have never even suspected an issue. If u read up on the symptoms, she has ZERO! I took her for her labs before her spay which is when we discovered it. We did supplements, removed culprits (plants she was getting into), and kept rechecking all the time with no success. Xray showed normal looking liver, I thought bc she was charting 2 to 3 pounds maybe she had a small liver and it wasn't functioning as well, nope its perfect on Xray. So then we were going to do a liver biopsy but Leslie told me about Dr. Center from Cornell University and her protein C test so we did that, had her blood overnighted.

Basically if u have repeated high alt with low protein c, then u have liver shunt or liver disease but if u have High alt and normal protein c, then it's mvd. So her liver functions just not how it should. Oh and her bile acids was normal too, showing no liver damage yet which is great. High bile acids indicate liver failure. 
Anyway, thank you! And we will not give up, we r going to do whatever it takes!


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

Angel1210 said:


> So sorry Zorana. I hope you get her levels under control. I was feeding THK for a few years. I just recently ran out and due to "financial cutbacks" I didn't buy any this month. But I fed Embark and both dogs loved it!


Thanks hun! I'm glad to hear your babies loved it! The consistency is what worried me! Omg it's so expensive! I bought the new duck flavor w grains and the small box was $65!! I will let u know how it goes!


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## intent2smile (Dec 4, 2011)

Z I am so sorry!! I hope you get it all figured out. Hugs to you and Mimi too.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

Thanks for all the liver suggestions. I feel so alone about Emmies liver problems. They're not due to disease, but to phenobarbital.


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

OMG! Z!!!! This makes me sick! I really thought Mimi's liver issues were behind her.  I have always heard great things about THK, and I really hope Mimi loves it. Lulu didn't care for it, but I only tried it once or twice a couple of years ago. If she doesn't care for it try Sojos. They have a turkey formula and a beef formula although they just changed the order of the first two ingredients of the turkey formula from sweet potato then turkey to turkey then sweet potato. In doing that the protein percentage went from 22% to 26%, but the beef was still 22% last time I checked. I fed that to Lulu for a long time after her liver issues because of the low protein and Lulu loved it and it's raw. The only thing about it I didn't care for is that once you add the water just like THK it needs to sit a minimum of 15 minutes to rehydrate properly and can sit even longer, and I'm bad about not allowing for that 15 minute wait time. I just gave away a whole unopened bag of turkey, or I would send it to you.  

Also, don't forget I have the liver cleanse diet you can try. I gave it to Paula for Roo. It 's homemade with whitefish, sweet potatoes, and veggies. You can make it on the weekend or your day off and it will last in the refrig for at least 5 days. 

Keep us informed, and give Mimi ((((big hugs)))!! BTW, Lulu says don't forget to tell Leo she feels for him. She just had her rabies shot last week because I could not put it off any more, and I had to take her back to the vet because the shot made a little pea-sized knot under her skin that I wanted the vet to see for himself and tell me there was nothing to it. It rolled around under her skin and didn't seem to hurt, but I prefer the vet to tell me it's not a problem. Lulu says ((((hugs)))) to Leo and Mimi!!! <3


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

intent2smile said:


> Z I am so sorry!! I hope you get it all figured out. Hugs to you and Mimi too.


Thank you Amy! I really hope so too! Hugs right back at ya!


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

susan davis said:


> Thanks for all the liver suggestions. I feel so alone about Emmies liver problems. They're not due to disease, but to phenobarbital.


I don't know much about drug induced liver issues but is Emmie on any liver supplements like samE or milk thistle??


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

lulu'smom said:


> OMG! Z!!!! This makes me sick! I really thought Mimi's liver issues were behind her.  I have always heard great things about THK, and I really hope Mimi loves it. Lulu didn't care for it, but I only tried it once or twice a couple of years ago. If she doesn't care for it try Sojos. They have a turkey formula and a beef formula although they just changed the order of the first two ingredients of the turkey formula from sweet potato then turkey to turkey then sweet potato. In doing that the protein percentage went from 22% to 26%, but the beef was still 22% last time I checked. I fed that to Lulu for a long time after her liver issues because of the low protein and Lulu loved it and it's raw. The only thing about it I didn't care for is that once you add the water just like THK it needs to sit a minimum of 15 minutes to rehydrate properly and can sit even longer, and I'm bad about not allowing for that 15 minute wait time. I just gave away a whole unopened bag of turkey, or I would send it to you.
> 
> Also, don't forget I have the liver cleanse diet you can try. I gave it to Paula for Roo. It 's homemade with whitefish, sweet potatoes, and veggies. You can make it on the weekend or your day off and it will last in the refrig for at least 5 days.
> 
> Keep us informed, and give Mimi ((((big hugs)))!! BTW, Lulu says don't forget to tell Leo she feels for him. She just had her rabies shot last week because I could not put it off any more, and I had to take her back to the vet because the shot made a little pea-sized knot under her skin that I wanted the vet to see for himself and tell me there was nothing to it. It rolled around under her skin and didn't seem to hurt, but I prefer the vet to tell me it's not a problem. Lulu says ((((hugs)))) to Leo and Mimi!!! <3


Tina, I was so sad at first. The vet called and was like "Leo's labs came back perfect;" pause, "but....." and my heart just sank! 

Oh ya, please send it me, I can't remember if u did already and I may have missed it by mistake. I have heard of sojos too, not sure which is better? The one I have does have grains it in, the only grain free flavors are chicken, beef and turkey, and then the duck w grains (mine all love duck anything). 

Leslie said I can make a batch of 1 cup of THK and 1.25 cups of water, let it sit and then refrigerate in a container and it's good for like 7 days! I have these awesome xoxo containers with the green lids that keep my food good for days longer than my old Rubbermaid ones. I think batching it weekly will work best for us bc bryan is the one who usually feeds them.

Does Lulu still have liver issues? Does she have MVD? Has she always had it?

Leo is still whimpering around, feeling sorry for himself. Mojo has one of the bumps too from a vaccine I think? I can't tell if Leo has a bump bc I'm scared to touch it since he's so sensitive right now! Mimi and Leo say thanks Lulu for the love, they loves her so much! 😘


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

I can't remember if I sent you the recipe for that diet or not but I'll send it later today in a PM. I was checking on whether Sojos was grain-free for you and noticed they have a new lamb Sojos. Also, all there flavors are grain-free and gluten-free. It says their lamb and beef are 22% protein and the turkey is 26%. I find that strange, so I'm going to call them and double check that that's not a typo. I'm not a member of the dog food review club that I used to be that was very in-depth about foods AND the company that makes them, but the holistic vet in my area sells it, and it's always one listed among the dehydrated raws in my magazines along with THK. Just giving you alternatives, but THK is great as well. I just really liked that Sojos is lower protein but an excellent food, and sometimes that is a necessity for some of our dogs.

No, Lulu's liver issue was hepatitis which was treatable, and she's OK thank the Lord!! I haven't had any in-depth bloodwork done in 18 months with no reason to, but I have thought about doing it anyway just to see that she's healthy. I've had specific bloodwork, but not a full fasting panel.

Hopefullly, by now Leo is not so sore, but if he is still that sore on Monday I would probably call the vet and just tell him about it.

And I need to know where you got those containers that keep your food so great!!


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

Thank u for sending the recipe again, I really appreciate it!

Thank God Lulu's issue was treatable and u identified the case and were able to treat it! Mimi's case has been so drawn out, like a roller coaster I swear! 

I will definitely keep Sojos in mind too! I have to see how much protein is in the duck and grain flavor I picked up. 
I'm going to research sojos more later today!!
Bryan fed the dogs this morning and said mimi gobbled up her food! Yay!! One thing I did notice was huge poop, not sure if it's bc it's a new food or the grains but I'll take huge poop in exchange for a good alt. 

Leo is still whining, I woke up this morning and he was sleeping on top of Nooder on the bed, lol! He loved that thing, it's like his bff. After he woke up, he was crying again! I did tell the vet yesterday. I may have to give him tramadol after work (I have some from mimi's spay).

I'm going to go find the oxo link now, one second!
Here they are, I think u can buy them from bed bath and beyond as separate pieces and I even found one piece at home goods!
http://m.macys.com/shop/product/oxo...storage-containers?ID=462129&CategoryID=31839


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## CHITheresa (Apr 30, 2011)

So sorry. tried ol,immune for her awhile. I have to give Amberleah lou lou


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

Zorana1125 said:


> Hi Paula! I was just going to fb message you! I was really hoping for some good news just like Roo had!
> I completely agree raw is not for everyone! I'm going to give thk a shot, if she will even eat it! If she doesn't, i'm going to try frozen raw w thk without the protein. If that fails or doesn't lower her alt, i'm going to try what u have Roo on!! I won't give up!! Please let me know how the home cooked diet goes!
> 
> And thank u so much for always being here for Mimi and I! We love you!


We love you too, hon! I'm so glad to hear THK is working out well and Mimi loves it! I know finding the right food for our little ones with health issues AND also something they like can be a battle. I'm so glad you have an actual diagnosis now too. I know you'll be able to get her levels down, I have total confidence! 

The home cooked diet is going great. Roo is no longer using any supplements either, not sure if I told you that. I stopped giving them awhile back when she had her last inflated ALT reading of 645. I figured the supplements weren't helping in her particular case. For Roo, a diet change has been the only thing that brought her ALT level to normal. 

The biggest issue with home cooked diets is making sure they are getting all their vitamins so that's my biggest concern now. I'm looking for a good liquid vitamin atm. I may even try one of THK's bases and just add the meat to that, that might work out too. 

Best of luck with sweet Mimi and keep us posted! I know all will work out in the end. Love and hugs to you and the fur babies.  xx




lulu'smom said:


> Also, don't forget I have the liver cleanse diet you can try. I gave it to Paula for Roo. It 's homemade with whitefish, sweet potatoes, and veggies. You can make it on the weekend or your day off and it will last in the refrig for at least 5 days.


Yes! That diet is excellent! I ended up having to go with something a little more specific from my vet, but the whitefish, sweet potatoes, and veggies diet is excellent for dogs with liver issues and were staple ingredients in what I was using. Previous to that I had her on vet diet food Hepatic from Royal Canine. I know, I wasn't happy about the choice, but it did get her levels back to normal. Then I started the home cooking to slowly get her off the vet diet food which had very low protein. Not something I'd feel comfortable giving long term.

Unfortunately, Roo got very tired of the whitefish (very quickly) and because her blood results came back perfect for the last 4 months my vet has given me the go ahead to try organic turkey now. I thank you so much again for giving it to me, Tina, and for the support you've given. I hope you and the fur babies are doing well and that Lulu's little knot has gone down. xx


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## KrystalLeigh (Aug 17, 2011)

Awww I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope that the new food helps Meems and that Leo starts feeling better soon. Did the vet say that's common after rabies?


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## TinyTails (Jun 24, 2011)

We have been feeding THK for over 5 years with AMAZING results  The company is awesome, I trust them 100% and the puppers love it. I haven't tried the recipe you bought have tried all the others. Deuce eats Thrive because he needs a potato free diet, Honey rotates all the formulas. For pups that are starting out I would recommend Keen, it seems to be the most tasty. I wouldn't worry as much about grain inclusive especially when it comes to THK - a carb is a carb and THK uses good carbs  Good luck I hope the food helps!!!


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

foggy said:


> Yes! That diet is excellent! I ended up having to go with something a little more specific from my vet, but the whitefish, sweet potatoes, and veggies diet is excellent for dogs with liver issues and were staple ingredients in what I was using. Previous to that I had her on vet diet food Hepatic from Royal Canine. I know, I wasn't happy about the choice, but it did get her levels back to normal. Then I started the home cooking to slowly get her off the vet diet food which had very low protein. Not something I'd feel comfortable giving long term.
> 
> Unfortunately, Roo got very tired of the whitefish (very quickly) and because her blood results came back perfect for the last 4 months my vet has given me the go ahead to try organic turkey now. I thank you so much again for giving it to me, Tina, and for the support you've given. I hope you and the fur babies are doing well and that Lulu's little knot has gone down. xx


Awwww, I'm so thankful to hear Roo is doing so well!!! I have thought about her so many times and prayed she was doing well. I should have PM'd you to check on her--life gets in the way I'm afraid.
I haven't studied this deeply to see if it would work long-term in terms of offering every missing vitamin and mineral you need, but what about offering her a scrambled egg 3 or 4 times a week, and also giving her infants Poly-vi-sol vitamins. Roughly use the dose for a 6 lb infant. A canine supplement that my vet sells and I have used before is Nu-Vet Plus. My only hesitation with it is that it has lots of ingredients. You may want to check out their website and see what you think. Another one I use right now (although not with consistency) is Nupro. There are several people on the forum that use this one and really like it. Hope this helps!


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

KrystalLeigh said:


> Awww I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope that the new food helps Meems and that Leo starts feeling better soon. Did the vet say that's common after rabies?


Thanks Krystal! She devoured it for dinner tonight! Keeping out fingers crossed. Yes the vet said they can be sore for 24 to 48 hours after, but Leo is a big baby! He's way too spoiled. Lol
Tonight he's doing much better! I think he's trying to milk it!!


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

TinyTails said:


> We have been feeding THK for over 5 years with AMAZING results  The company is awesome, I trust them 100% and the puppers love it. I haven't tried the recipe you bought have tried all the others. Deuce eats Thrive because he needs a potato free diet, Honey rotates all the formulas. For pups that are starting out I would recommend Keen, it seems to be the most tasty. I wouldn't worry as much about grain inclusive especially when it comes to THK - a carb is a carb and THK uses good carbs  Good luck I hope the food helps!!!


This is great news! How often do you rotate the flavors? You think it's ok to feed the one grains in it? I noticed Mimi's poop is bigger 
She ate it so fast tonight for dinner, I think she's starting to love it. The halcyon flavor was so expensive, $65 for 4lbs, are the other flavors more reasonable? I would love to feed it to everyone but I'm not sure I can!!


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

CHITheresa said:


> So sorry. tried ol,immune for her awhile. I have to give Amberleah lou lou


What is it called? What does it do?


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## coco_little_bear (May 30, 2012)

I'm so sorry to hear about Mimi. You must be so worried! I really hope this new food will make a difference! It's lucky you found out unexpectedly while she was still very young and before damage happened. I hope everything will turn out ok in the end. Btw, these are such cute pictures of Leo and Mimi. They are just too adorable!! I hope Leo is feeling better too.


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## TinyTails (Jun 24, 2011)

Wow, that is a crazy price for THK. I normally pay that for the 10lb boxes! Petflow was having a sale on the 2lb boxes a few months ago so I got a bunch, they were 3.99 a box! So I am rotating every 2 lbs with her. I always order online and wait for sales then stock up. If a dog isn't sensitive to grains I don't personally believe they're bad and THK uses good grains like oatmeal and quinoa. My dogs have always done better so I feed grain inclusive even for the dry food. I don't see how a potato or peas are any better for a dog than quinoa or oats. There are lots of grain inclusive foods out there that are better than some grain free ones that are loaded with peas and potatoes. You can write to THK and ask for samples so you can try out the different flavors. 


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## TinyTails (Jun 24, 2011)

I looked on their site, that flavor is the new novel protein novel grain for dogs that have sensitivities so it's pricey. I would try some of the other more basic formulas  my pups and my moms dogs favorites are Thrive - my fav bc it's very basic ingredients, Keen, Embark and Zeal. Honey is trying Love next, then Force which I have heard dogs really like too  


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

To Foggy--Do not use the supplement Nu-Vet Plus. It is a NO-NO on the purine list. It has Brewers Yeast which is 1810 purines.

What I am wondering is if foods that are higher in purines is something that all dogs with liver issues should stay away from or if it only applies to certain liver issues. If all dogs that have liver issues should be aware of high purine foods, then the issue with feeding dogs with liver issues raw or high protein foods is the organ meats. Beef and chicken organ meats are both high in purines. Both of their muscle meat can be fed sparingly. This is why I tend to promote eggs so much for those with liver issues they are actually excellent protein sources as well as other necessary vitamins and minerals and also have very LOW levels of purines. 

On the purine scale, where beef muscle is 90-133 and chicken is 94-179 and beef liver is 197-554 and chicken liver is 236-243, egg is 5, but and egg has 6grams of proteins (I don't know what % that is). It contains every essential amino acid in protein. It has Vit A, Vit B (folate & riboflavin), selenium, calcium...it actually has a total of 13 vitamins and minerals.

If you want to know the lowest protein/fat THK food it is actually VERVE which is beef with rye and oats. Beef itself is a medium purine food, and the ingredient list doesn't say any organ meat which is the high purine part. If it had organ meat I feel like it would list it. Rye and Oats are high purine but they are rye-51 and oats-94. I don't know if purines are purines or if that is really high for their category. Also, Verve is $34.99 for a 4lb box. I don't know about duck--it's not on the list. Zeal is mostly whitefish ingredient-wise and is grain-free and gluten-free and low purine, but is 35.5% protein and 8.5% fat. Hope all this helps!!


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

I was googling to see if duck was high in purines, and I should have googled about purines in connection with liver issues before I posted earlier.  Purines in food is more connected with kidneys than liver. Purines in food have to do with uric acid in the body. Purines in food comes into play when a dog's (or human's) body can't process the uric acid in their body properly and it causes gout or kidney stones. 

So sorry to keep on with that, but when Lulu had her liver issue it was first discovered through a urine test that showed purine crystals in her urine. I don't know why she had purine crystals in her urine, yet had liver issues after reading what I read, and my MD skills are way rusty! lol I just erred on the side of caution with Lulu and went with as low protein and low purine as I could to be sure I covered everything that could affect her health.


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

coco_little_bear said:


> I'm so sorry to hear about Mimi. You must be so worried! I really hope this new food will make a difference! It's lucky you found out unexpectedly while she was still very young and before damage happened. I hope everything will turn out ok in the end. Btw, these are such cute pictures of Leo and Mimi. They are just too adorable!! I hope Leo is feeling better too.


Hi!! Thank you! They were so happy to be out and about! Leo is back to normal this morning, yay! 
I'm really glad too, I am such a stickler for annual lab work bc things like this can be silent unless u get labs done! And by the time they show symptoms, it's usually too late (I learned this the hard way w my 1st chi Gino). I'm praying for good results! Thanks again! !


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

TinyTails said:


> I looked on their site, that flavor is the new novel protein novel grain for dogs that have sensitivities so it's pricey. I would try some of the other more basic formulas  my pups and my moms dogs favorites are Thrive - my fav bc it's very basic ingredients, Keen, Embark and Zeal. Honey is trying Love next, then Force which I have heard dogs really like too
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Good idea! I am going to ask them for samples! My friend owns a dog shop and she has a great rewards program! But if u see a sale again, can you PM me? Mimi is loving this stuff more and more. This morning Bryan said she ate thk before licking her coconut oil up which she's never done! 
I remember they had a huge sale bc they were repackaging everything and I believe they were removing the alfalfa from all the formulas since it was an allergy source for lots of dogs. 
I'm going to have to go look up those names to see what they are, lol. I decided to try duck first bc she loved duck anything so I figured if she didn't like it, she wouldn't like any of them!


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

lulu'smom said:


> I was googling to see if duck was high in purines, and I should have googled about purines in connection with liver issues before I posted earlier.  Purines in food is more connected with kidneys than liver. Purines in food have to do with uric acid in the body. Purines in food comes into play when a dog's (or human's) body can't process the uric acid in their body properly and it causes gout or kidney stones.
> 
> So sorry to keep on with that, but when Lulu had her liver issue it was first discovered through a urine test that showed purine crystals in her urine. I don't know why she had purine crystals in her urine, yet had liver issues after reading what I read, and my MD skills are way rusty! lol I just erred on the side of caution with Lulu and went with as low protein and low purine as I could to be sure I covered everything that could affect her health.


Thank you for that info Tina! I really appreciate it!! I didn't even think to look at purine content. So far her kidneys look great, normal serum creatinine and BUN. I'm looking forward to trying a new flavor out next! Now I want everyone to eat THK! Lol


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## Angel1210 (Mar 14, 2011)

I feed THK also. They love it! It doesn't take as long to reconstitute as SoJo's. But SoJos can be made ahead and refrigerated for a day or two. I used to do that, but THK was quicker for me because I wouldn't always remember to get it ready ahead of time!

Glad Leo is back to his old self! Hope all goes well with Mimi.


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

Z, I'm sure you are doing this, but just in case--are you giving Mimi milk thistle or Sam-E? This would be really helpful.


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

Angel1210 said:


> I feed THK also. They love it! It doesn't take as long to reconstitute as SoJo's. But SoJos can be made ahead and refrigerated for a day or two. I used to do that, but THK was quicker for me because I wouldn't always remember to get it ready ahead of time!
> 
> Glad Leo is back to his old self! Hope all goes well with Mimi.


Thanks love! Finally! 
I actually mix a cup of THK with 1.5 cups of water, stir it and let it sit but then I refrigerate it so I don't have to make it every day. So far it's working great! I actually gave them all thk tonight, Lola was the only one who didn't eat it. I'm going to keep trying to get her to like it. I think I'm going to switch the other 3 to thk only! The more I read about how awesome it is, the more I want them all eating it!!


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

lulu'smom said:


> Z, I'm sure you are doing this, but just in case--are you giving Mimi milk thistle or Sam-E? This would be really helpful.


Yup! I give her something called liquid hepato and she loves it! I think it's chicken flavored. All I have to say is "Mimi do you want your medicine?" And she comes running into the kitchen, it's so funny!


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

Zorana1125 said:


> Yup! I give her something called liquid hepato and she loves it! I think it's chicken flavored. All I have to say is "Mimi do you want your medicine?" And she comes running into the kitchen, it's so funny!


I read about that, but I can't remember where. It was either in my Dog's Naturally Magazine which has an article in it about liver disease this issue--I just got this afternoon, but I don't know how to post articles out of it like Christie does. See if she can post that article. Or I read about it when I was reading about MVD. That's really good!! 

In that article, there was an herbal liver cleanse formula made by Standard Process called Livton. I was given a product by Standard Process before for Lulu's allergies instead of Benedryl called Antronex that was supposed to be a long-term relief of allergies.


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

lulu'smom said:


> I read about that, but I can't remember where. It was either in my Dog's Naturally Magazine which has an article in it about liver disease this issue--I just got this afternoon, but I don't know how to post articles out of it like Christie does. See if she can post that article. Or I read about it when I was reading about MVD. That's really good!!


Leslie has a friend who has a tiny 2lb chi baby who had the same thing happen as Mimi, scheduled for a spay and had elevated ALT. They gave her liquid hepato and a month later her labs were perfect so she got me some too! Except I didn't have the same results! 😳
I would love to read the article!


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

Zorana, Could you please tell me where I can get this medication? Zarita needs a liver support, and I would like to use this. A liquid is much easier for us!


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## foggy (Oct 12, 2009)

lulu'smom said:


> Awwww, I'm so thankful to hear Roo is doing so well!!! I have thought about her so many times and prayed she was doing well. I should have PM'd you to check on her--life gets in the way I'm afraid.
> I haven't studied this deeply to see if it would work long-term in terms of offering every missing vitamin and mineral you need, but what about offering her a scrambled egg 3 or 4 times a week, and also giving her infants Poly-vi-sol vitamins. Roughly use the dose for a 6 lb infant. A canine supplement that my vet sells and I have used before is Nu-Vet Plus. My only hesitation with it is that it has lots of ingredients. You may want to check out their website and see what you think. Another one I use right now (although not with consistency) is Nupro. There are several people on the forum that use this one and really like it. Hope this helps!


You're so sweet and helpful, Tina. Thank you so much for your suggestions. Unfortunately, my vet said no egg as of yet, I'm not sure why. 

You're a real life saver with your vitamin suggestion! I have been searching for a liquid vitamin for Roo and your suggestion seems to be a good one! I'm so excited and will run it by my vet. I noticed Jean Dodd mentioned a children's liquid vitamin as a supplement for the liver diet, but that one oddly never came up for me on google searches.

I'll be so happy if I can use it as it will solve a big issue for me. The powder supplements (that my vet suggested) are tricky as Roo detests them on her food. The liquid vitamin I could just squirt in her mouth, so much easier. I have used Nupro and the Missing Link, but Roo, aka Miss Pickypants, doesn't like them too much. So frustrating! Thank you so much for all your help and for that article you emailed me today. I appreciate it so much! You're an angel! xx


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

susan davis said:


> Zorana, Could you please tell me where I can get this medication? Zarita needs a liver support, and I would like to use this. A liquid is much easier for us!


Of course it's called Liquid Hepato and I ordered it on Amazon. Mimi really loves the taste! Let me know if you decide to try it!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004BZD7LY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1409190721&sr=8-1


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

I got a bottle of liquid hepato from Diamondback Drugs in Arizona (they are a pharmacy basically for animals that compound pills into liquid and other medications for animals). I have asked my vet about doseage, 'cause they say on the bottle "2 cc's for dogs weighing 25-50 pounds". Well Emmie weighs 8.5 pounds!


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

susan davis said:


> I got a bottle of liquid hepato from Diamondback Drugs in Arizona (they are a pharmacy basically for animals that compound pills into liquid and other medications for animals). I have asked my vet about doseage, 'cause they say on the bottle "2 cc's for dogs weighing 25-50 pounds". Well Emmie weighs 8.5 pounds!


I give Mimi 1ml twice daily (sometimes once daily if I forget in the morning).


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## BellaLina's Mom (Mar 16, 2007)

Your chis are adorable. I'm so sorry about the bad news, and hope you find the answer(s) to help your babies. Bella, Lina, and I send hugs to you and your chis.


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

BellaLina's Mom said:


> Your chis are adorable. I'm so sorry about the bad news, and hope you find the answer(s) to help your babies. Bella, Lina, and I send hugs to you and your chis.


Thank you so much! I hope this new food will do the trick for her bc she's such a doll, her personality is amazing! Thanks for thinking of us!


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