Print

Treatment

Most patients showing signs of hepatic encephalopathy should be hospitalized. Medications may be prescribed by your veterinarian to help improve dietary protein tolerance, and your dog’s diet should be switched to a diet that is designed for liver or kidney disease. Your dog will need to be placed in a protective environment so that activity is restricted. You may want to consider cage rest during the recovery and therapy process. Oxygen therapy and fluid therapy with electrolyte and vitamin supplementation will need to be given to stabilize your dog’s health, and you will also need to take care to keep your dog warm while it is recovering.

To assure your dog is receiving enough calories, a feeding tube may need to be inserted. Should this be necessary, your veterinarian will go over this process with you for home care.

If the source of the liver disease is a congenital shunt, surgical correction may resolve the condition. If the portosystemic shunt was acquired, abnormal blood vessels should not be tied off.

Zinc supplementation can be given as needed. Other treatments that may be prescribed are antibiotics, enemas, diuretics and seizure-control medications.

Living and Management

Your veterinarian will schedule follow-up appointments for your dog according to the underlying diseased state. Contact your veterinarian immediately if your dog’s symptoms return or worsen, if your dog loses weight, or if your dog begins to appear unwell.