Pets and Liver Toxicity

Pets with liver problems often display signs that pet guardians misinterpret. For example, a pet with liver problems may become more restless and agitated, barking and pacing, or demanding attention. It’s easy to misinterpret these signs as behavioral problems, but behavior training will not alter these activities because there is a medical cause for them.

The brain is strongly influenced by the proteins and chemicals in the blood and the liver, in large part, is responsible for controlling these materials. If the liver is not working well, substances that never should be in the blood reach the brain and alter the brain’s chemistry.

The liver is harmed by chemicals in the diet (artificial preservatives in foods, food dyes, and heavy metals) and by certain drugs. For example, sulfa drugs can be toxic to the liver. If your pet is taking sulfa drugs and begins to behave abnormally, contact your veterinarian who will discontinue the sulfa and prescribe an alternative antibiotic.

If necessary to use a sulfa medication, strengthen your pet’s liver with milk thistle, or its active ingredient, silymarin. Use SAMe. Feed liver that is free of chemicals and preservatives. Supplement with liver from organic or free-range chicken or beef.

For consistent liver support, feed kibble that has no liver-toxic ingredients, such as Azmira. Do not use a pet food with a history of aflatoxin contamination because aflatoxin directly damages the liver.