[SOLVED ] Q. I have a 9 year old golden that was just diagnosed with liver cancer through x ray only sign is weight loss, should we pursue further to see...

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Experienced and professional animal trainer provide their insights in answering this question :

A. Blood work and a liver biopsy or aspirate should be done to confirm the diagnosis. A consult with a veterinary oncologist is recommended to discuss treatment options and prognoses.

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It`s also good to note that massive hepatocellular carcinoma tumors grow slowly, giving your dog`s vet the time and opportunity to remove the affected parts of your dog`s liver and increase your dog`s chances of a full recovery!

Chronic liver disease occurs gradually and can be caused by an ongoing health condition like cancer or diabetes. Acute liver failure comes on suddenly and requires immediate medical attention.

Unfortunately, some malignant tumors such as tumors from metastasized cancer and diffuse hepatocellular carcinoma tumors cannot be removed, and the prognosis is poor (typically about 3 to 6 months).

The weight loss seen in dogs with cancer is called “cancer cachexia.” During starvation, an animal first loses body fat. In cancer cachexia, the animal loses both fat and muscle at an equal rate.

What is liver cancer? Liver cancer is a life-threatening illness and one of the fastest-growing cancer types in the United States.

The 5-year survival rate for liver cancer that has reached nearby organs or lymph nodes is about 11%. If liver cancer has spread to other parts of the body, the 5-year survival rate is about 3%.

Chronic hepatitis cases can have an average survival rate of 2 to 3 years, depending on the severity of symptoms and how well the liver responds to treatment.

Some signs of liver disease to watch for include: Vomiting and diarrhea. Fever (if the infection is causing the liver disease) Abdominal pain (more commonly noted in acute liver failure) which may cause the dog to adopt a hunched or praying/play bow position.

Dogs with liver tumors are not in constant pain, but they are aware that something is causing them physical discomfort.

Dogs that have had massive liver tumors removed have a good prognosis, and may live for years past the operation. Some malignant tumors cannot be removed. Nodular or diffuse HCC tumors and tumors from a metastasized cancer, unfortunately, have a poor prognosis (usually allowing only 3-6 months).

Dr. Stenzel notes that in case studies, dogs persistently sniffed, licked and nipped at melanoma lesions on their owners` skin, even through clothing, prompting the owners to identify the cancerous sites and seek care from clinicians.

Extreme fatigue: Your normally active dog or cat may seem depressed and take no interest in exercise or play. It`s also common for a pet with cancer to sleep several more hours per day than usual.

Foods to avoid

saturated or trans fats, such as red meats , full-fat milk, and pastries. added sugars, such as sweetened beverages, cakes, cookies, and candies. salts, such as sodium-rich canned soups, cured meats, and potato chips.

The longest patient survived 43 years and 2 months. Five young patients got married after resection and have had babies. One patient with a tumor measuring 17 x 13 x 9 cm (largest tumor in this series) survived for 37 years after resection, still alive, free of disease.

Pain is especially common in patients with advanced-stage liver cancer. Because the cancer has likely spread by that point, the patient may be experiencing pain in both the primary liver cancer site and in areas the cancer has spread.

Most liver metastases start as cancer in the colon or rectum. Up to 70 percent of people with colorectal cancer eventually develop liver metastases. This happens in part because the blood supply from the intestines is connected directly to the liver through a large blood vessel called the portal vein.

When liver cancer metastasizes, it most commonly spreads to the lungs and bones. The five-year survival rate for a patient whose liver cancer has spread to surrounding tissue, organs and/or lymph nodes is estimated at 12 percent.

Chronic liver failure, also called end-stage liver disease, progresses over months, years, or decades. Most often, chronic liver failure is the result of cirrhosis, a condition in which scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue until the liver cannot function adequately.

The person may be unable to tell night from day. He or she may also display irritability and personality changes, or have memory problems. As brain function continues to decline, he or she will become sleepy and increasingly confused. This state can progress to unresponsiveness and coma.

Fortunately, liver disease can be effectively managed and progression limited. Many dogs go on to live happily, years after their diagnosis. Proper nutrition and continuous dialogue with your veterinarian are key to managing your dog`s liver disorder.

Any breed can be affected, but some breeds such as Yorkshire Terriers, Maltese Terriers, Silky Terriers, Miniature Schnauzers, Old English Sheepdogs, Irish Wolfhounds, Cairn Terriers, and Miniature Poodles are predisposed.

Early and middle-stage liver disease in dogs can be managed with the right treatments, and your dog may still enjoy a good quality of life. When the disease has progressed to the third stage, and your dog`s symptoms are no longer manageable, your veterinarian will likely suggest relieving suffering with euthanasia.

Hepatic encephalopathy is a condition that affects the liver and can cause tremors in dogs. The liver is responsible for removing toxins from the blood, so when it is not functioning properly, these toxins can build up and cause problems.

The liver is the 5th most common site for an angiosarcoma to form. However, liver angiosarcoma is the 3rd most common type of primary liver cancer. Liver angiosarcoma usually occurs in older men, in their 60s or 70s. This form of liver cancer is very aggressive and usually is not diagnosed until an advanced stage.

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Q. How do I determine how much my overweight pet should weigh?

ANSWER : A. There are many tools to determine overweight and obesity levels in pets. A new tool, morphometric measurements and body fat index, are available to accurately determine a pet’s ideal weight; this will allow an accurate determination of the amount of food a pet should receive to achieve weight loss. Feeding the correct amount will lead to greater weight loss success.

There are many weight loss food options to help pets reach their ideal weight. Your veterinarian can help make a ideal weight recommendation. Here are some tips to help your dog lose weight in a healthy and safe way:

1. Diet: Providing a healthy and well balanced diet is essential to your pet’s overall health. Finding the right food for your dog can be a challenging process. For those overweight animals many commercial dog companies offer weight loss diets, but it is important to evaluate food labels for adequate nutritional content.

You want to ensure you are not missing other essential vitamin or mineral content. Volume of food is also important and the amount of food that works for one breed of dog may not be the same for another breed of dog. Portion control as opposed to free-choice feeding can help your dog to drop a few unnecessary pounds.

There are also prescription weight loss foods designed by veterinary nutritionists, such as Hill’s r/d (http://bit.ly/1AoENSd). Some pet owners find that home cooking is the best option for helping to provide a well-balanced and realistic diet plan. There are websites such as balanceit.com that offers recipes to fit your dog’s specific needs. Consulting with your veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist to find the appropriate diet is a great way to help your dog be as healthy as possible.

2. Exercise: Another great tactic for weight loss for your dog is exercise. Whether this is through running, walking or playing with a favorite toy all of these are wonderful types of exercise to help keep your dog at a lean and healthy weight.

For those pet owners with busy schedules utilizing professional dog walking services or playtime through dog daycare services is another option. It has been shown that those pet owners that exercise regularly with their pets generally live a healthier lifestyle.

3. Physical therapy: As animals age pet owners offer encounter their favorite canine having more difficulty walking and have a dwindling desire to play with toys. Physical therapy, specifically hydrotherapy is a wonderful way to help older and arthritic animals gain more mobility and lose weight. Hydrotherapy has been proven to have several therapeutic effects on the body including, muscle strengthening, relief of swelling, decreased joint pain, less stiffness in limbs, improved circulation, weight loss, and increased tissue healing to name a few. For more information on the benefits of hydrotherapy:
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4. Veterinary visit and blood work: Weight gain can also be related to underlying health concerns such as hypothyroidism or other endocrine disorders. Scheduling a veterinary evaluation and routine blood work can be another important component in increasing the longevity of your dog’s life. Conditions such as hypothyroidism that predispose dogs to gain weight can be treated with a daily medication to improve hormonal balance. If feel that your dog is unnecessarily overweight there can be an underlying health condition that needs to be addressed.

5. Healthy treats: Pet owners love the chance to reward their favorite canine companion with treats and most dogs jump at the chance to consume these delicious products. The problem is many treats, which can include commercial dog treats or table scrapes can add many unnecessary calories to your dog’s daily intake. Reading labels and making note of the calories in these treats is an important component of understanding your dog’s overall health. Treats should not exceed more than 10 percent of your pet’s daily calories. There are healthier treats that can be offered to your pet to keep calories lower yet provide a fuller sensation. A pet owner can add steamed or pureed vegetables, such as carrots, green beans or sweet potato to add more fiber and thus a fuller feeling for your dog.

Read Full Q/A … : How Do I Determine if My Dog is Overweight? – Pet Health Care

Q. My pet shows weight loss and has a hard time walking, like he has lost strength in his legs and has no control to maintain balance. What’s wrong?

ANSWER : A. Loss of balance or inability to control the limbs can be caused by a wide range of problems and is usually cause for concern. Damage to the nerves or muscles can cause loss of balance, as well as neurological disease or some illnesses. Having your vet perform a complete examination is needed to determine the exact cause.

Weight loss can refer to the actual loss of fat and weight on your dog, or may also be due to the loss of muscle tone in the body. If there is a problem with one of the limbs, it may be that the weight loss you are seeing is actually loss of muscle in that area. Weight loss can again be caused by a wide range of problems from neurologic disease, illness, parasites or disease. Making an appointment with your vet is best.

Read Full Q/A … : 21 Symptoms You Should Never Ignore in Your Dog – The Web's …

Q. I have a 9 year old golden that was just diagnosed with liver cancer through x ray only sign is weight loss, should we pursue further to see if can s

ANSWER : A. Blood work and a liver biopsy or aspirate should be done to confirm the diagnosis. A consult with a veterinary oncologist is recommended to discuss treatment options and prognoses.

Read Full Q/A … : Cancer and Tumors in Dogs – Vetinfo.com

Q. My 16 year old indoor cat has lost most of her body weight in the last couple of weeks. I think she may have worms. What do I do?

ANSWER : A. Weight loss can be a serious sign of many underlying conditions in older cats, most notably metabolic issues such as thyroid disease or organ dysfunction. If no worms are visible in her stool, bringing in a stool sample to check for them, or making a wellness exam to check for any other causes of the weight loss are best to help find why your cat is losing weight prior to just treating for worms.

If worms are present, then determining the type of worms they are is the next step. Worms generally cause digestive upset in cats such as vomiting or loose stools in addition to weight loss in large infections. The two most common types include roundworms (long spaghetti-like strands) and tapeworms (small rice grain segments). Roundworms can generally be cured with any over the counter wormer, however tapeworms need a wormer specific to them to be given. Tapeworms are also spread via contact with fleas, so starting a flea prevention treatment can help prevent further infections. Cleaning all bedding and the environment your cat is in will also help for any type of internal parasite infection.

Read Full Q/A … : Feline Weight Loss: When Your Cat Losing … – Ask The Cat Doctor

Q. My dog is losing weight but still eats a lot. Also his balance is off

ANSWER : A. Loss of balance and weight or loss of muscle tone (which can look like weight loss) may indicate a neurologic or muscular issue is going on. You may also see other symptoms such as dizziness, drooling or even vomiting if your dog is very disoriented. As these problems can be serious, it is best to schedule an exam with your local vet as soon as possible to check for causes of neuro, nerve or muscular issues which could be causing the signs you are seeing. Until then, you may want to limit his activity to prevent accidental injury from loss of balance.

Read Full Q/A … : Dog Illness Warning Signs – Medical Treatment for Dogs …

Q. Why has my dog had extreme weight loss within the last 3 months? Now yellow stool. 5yr old Golden Retriever was 120lbs now 80lbs

ANSWER : A. Forty pound weight loss is severe. I would recommend that you make an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as possible for an exam and the appropriate diagnostic tests. They will likely recommend bloodwork and radiographs, or X-rays, to start with.

Depending on the results, additional diagnostic tools may be recommended, such as ultrasound. The possibilities are numerous including malabsorption problem, diseases of the small or large intestine, kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes and cancer. Your veterinarian can examine her and determine what steps to take next.

Read Full Q/A … : Why is my dog losing weight so fast? – Vetinfo.com

Q. How do I know if my pet is overweight?

ANSWER : A. There are many ways to determine if your pet is overweight: breed standards, body condition score (BCS), body fat index (BFI), and morphometric measurements. These tools are used to determine how overweight a pet is, as well as to determine how much to feed to reach the pet’s ideal weight. Most weight loss programs fail because food dose calculations are based on inaccurate estimations of ideal body weight.

Current methods of estimating ideal body weight (body condition score/ guessing) are most likely to underestimate % body fat and therefore overestimate ideal weight, which leads to overfeeding. Pets are being overdosed on food because of inaccurate estimations of ideal body weight.

To determine body condition score it’s often helpful to have a scale from 1-5 to compare to: http://www.hillspet.com/weight-management/pet-weight-score.html. This scale is based on your ability to feel or see the ribs, the size of your dog or cat’s waist, and the appearance of the abdomen.

An overweight animal can be predisposed to several health conditions including high blood pressure, arthritis, endocrine disorders such as diabetes, and hypothyroidism. This is why it is important to determine an ideal weight for your pet and work hard to maintain a healthy weight.

Read Full Q/A … : Cherry Hill Vet Clinic » Blog Archive » Q: How do I know if …

Q. My cats shows symptoms of hyperthyroidism but its thyroid test showed nothing wrong. The blood test only shows high liver enzyme. What shoukd i do?

ANSWER : A. If the blood test shows high liver enzymes I would recommend having a bile acid test done to check liver function. High liver enzymes, depending on how high, does not mean that the liver has loss of function, which is why a bile acid test is then done to gain more information here. For a cat this young, hyperthyroidism is very unlikely anyway.
I also recommend for any patient of mine with high liver enzymes to go on liver protectant medication (SAM-e or Denamarin) for 30 days to help protect the liver from an acute insult. Most of the time this is the extent of the medication needed if the bile acid comes back normal.

Read Full Q/A … : Thyroid Hormone Tests – WebMD – WebMD – Better information …