My dog with hepatic encephalopathy seems lost. Can I give lactulose?

Do not discontinue the Lactulose without the advice of the prescribing veterinarian. This may lead to constipation again. The dose and/or frequency of Lactulose will likely be adjusted by the veterinarian. In the meantime, a short fast followed by a bland diet fed in small, frequent amounts may help to resolve the diarrhea. You can discuss the use of veterinary probiotics, such as ProViable, ProStora or FortiFlora, with your veterinarian. These may promote gut health and aid in resolution of mild diarrhea as well.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Medical treatment for liver shunts consists of: Liver diet so despite him being a puppy I'd put him on Hill's l/d if a small breed dog or Purina HA for growth (Soy based and less likely to form ammonia) Lactulose Prilosec (omerprazole) to prevent gastric ulcers exacerbating signs Antibiotics usually short term but sometimes long term I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Malin! I would use any drug or supplement with extreme caution on a puppy with a liver shunt. Drugs are not metabolized appropriately due to the shunt bypassing the liver for filtration. What is best is that Malin be seen by your Vet and treated for the nausea and diarrhea. I hope this helps and I wish you and Malin the best!

I hate to hear this is happening. I recommend to have a frank discussion with your veterinarian about what they suspect is happening. Coco may need more diagnostics to determine the cause. Here is a link about Hepatic encephalopathy including the causes: https://www.merckvetmanual.com/digestive-system/hepatic-disease-in-small-animals/hepatic-encephalopathy-in-small-animals If this is due to a single large liver shunt, surgery may be an option. If this is not, medical management may help which includes a special diets, lactulose and medication life long. You may want to seek a second opinion as well if your vet does not seem up to date on current information. Thank you can make an informed decision. I hope this helps.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! We cannot make further specific recommendations as we did not diagnose this issue or prescribed this. I would encourage you to check in specifically with your veterinarian who prescribed it as they would know best. It sounds like though that it was prescribed for the brown dog. I am hoping they can help you. Have a great day!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. I am sorry to hear that Lio is suffering from liver and kidney disease at such a young age. The most helpful treatment Lio could receive right now would be IV fluids for hydration. This will also help diurese him to flush out any potential toxins from his blood. With his age I would be concerned that the cause is a toxicity from him eating something possibly. Denamarin is a good liver supplemw t and getting him to eat a critical care formula food such as Hills A/D is good. If an abdominal ultrasound has not yet been performed, I would consider having that done for more information. I hope this helps and that Lio improves soon. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

How cute is Asroc. I would recommend taking him to the vet because he might need additional medication to help him with the shunt. Their are some medications that can be given to help improve quality of life with a shunt. You could try adding in sweet potatoes into his food with some veggies like peas and green beans. These are low in protein but can increase a patients interest in food.