SAMe is hard to give. Why not methionine for cats with liver issues?

Hello, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Unfortunately, Denamarin only comes in tablet form. You could try pill pockets, or potentially crush it and mix it with a bite of canned all-meat baby food. If that doesn't work, and you're really struggling to get the medication into him, I recommend reaching out to your vet. We understand that many cats are nearly impossible to get pills into! There are other liver support options, such as milk thistle, that can come in liquid form if you need a "plan B" option. It wouldn't be quite as good as Denamarin, but better than nothing! Hope this helps!

I am so sorry for the delay in answering your question. I hope that Tikvichko is feeling better at this time. If he is not, you should seek a veterinary emergency center. He may need IV fluids and treatment for acidosis. (If his blood has become acidic from the medication) You can also call animal poison control, as they would have the best information regarding overdosages of specific drugs. That number is (888) 426-4435. There is a fee but they are a wealth of potentially life saving information. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

SAM-e is a good liver supplement but will not fix or improve a potential liver shunt. A bile acids test is used to confirm if a shunt is present and a CT helps to locate the shunt before surgery. Medical management if surgery is not an option due to the shunt location/type/ etc is also an option you can discuss with your veterinarian. Surgery if possible is the best option for a long normal life. Medical management can decrease their normal life span depending on the degree of the shunt. Good luck!

I'm so sorry to hear that you had to put your dog down. I know that is never an easy decision. I doubt the methionine has anything to do with his passing but of course, there is no way for me to know this for sure. Anything is possible. I do not have enough information though to be helpful. You did not say why you had to put your dog down, what symptoms he was having, etc. Personally, I think if the methionine was to cause an issue it would have happened sooner than 7 months after him taking it unless he had a pre-existing liver, kidney or pancreatic disease. ( https://www.petplace.com/article/drug-library/drug-library/library/methionine-for-dogs-and-cats/ )

You can try finding this in milk thistle, silymarin, or Vitamin E. Though none of them will actually heal the liver. They, and Denamarin, are antioxidants that can help protect the liver from further damage, but they cannot reverse damage that has already occurred.

Well, the concern with starting Sam E in her situation is that we don’t know what type of tumor is on her liver. If it is a hepatocullular carcinoma (true liver cancer and not metastasis) then in theory it could “feed” the cancer. However, if your veterinarian feels that this is a different type of cancer then yes, Sam E would be appropriate. A 10 kg dog typically gets around 225 mg of Sam E per day. Best of luck and I hope Tanner does well for quite some time. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

This is not the same but is fine for your dog. The licorice root is a natural anti inflammatory herbal remedy and it also inhibits liver injury so it's a good choice for animals with high liver enzymes. You may still want to give the milk thistle if you can find it separately. You have done an excellent job maintaining Kandy throughout her life with a liver shunt. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Kandy.