The liver is an important organ for your dog; it helps with digestion, blood clotting and the removal of toxins. If it is not working as it should it can make your furry friend ill. If caught early illness can be treated before the problem escalates to a serious condition.
There are a number of things that contribute to liver disease; it could be brought on by age, genetics, trauma, infection, other diseases or even medication. Fatty foods and poisonous plants are but a few other things to be mindful of.
If you suspect your dog is not well, a visit to the Vet is always recommended.
A few symptoms to look out for:
Loss of appetite
Confusion
Weight loss
Unstable walk
Increased thirst
Jaundice appearance
Weakness
Vitamin D is important, but can be toxic if too much is ingested by dogs. Being a fat soluble vitamin, when a dog gets too much the excess is not rapidly excreted but rather stores in fat tissue and the liver. This can lead to a serious situation.
Although dogs do need a certain amount of Vitamin D, the main source of this should come from their diet. Good sources of this can be found in liver, fish, eggs, beef, dairy.
Vitamin D deficiency in dogs is not unheard of, research suggests it is rare; if you do suspect your pet has a deficiency this should be discussed with your Vet who will give the best advice regarding a supplement.
If you have Vitamin D supplements around the house, keep them well out of reach of your pooch.
A well balanced diet is crucial to the wellbeing of our furry ones, if you would like information regarding our range of good stuff please feel free to drop us a message and we will be in touch.
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