Liver Disease - is there hope ?

[anon1997]

I’m very sorry to hear about your boy, that’s a horrible thing to come home to. We ended up having a virologist out last week and she is absolutely convinced it’s a virus…….even though all the vets have aid that is unlikely (she did say that is exactly what they would say!). And I would say in your boys case the fact that his SAA is 349 you may also consider virus for him. Don’t panic, Rosa’s blood were truly awful for 6 weeks, her GGT was 964 last week, but the blood test we did this week has showed she has improved hugely in just 7 days. What are his Bile Acids? I believe that is the one you need to worry about more than the GGT. There seems to be a lot of liver problems this year, you are definitely not alone. I have my Rosa onto something from Trinity consultants called L94, I can’t tell you if that is what has helped but I would definitely say it’s worth a try. Also call Simon at Trinity and email him your blood test, he will give you good info, very very helpful. If you are not on any medication I would put him on a good vitamin E supplement (feedmark do one or the best one is Dura E, but it’s expensive) and perhaps some milk thistle, I had been told to hold off the milk thistle until she finished her steroids. Now, if it is a virus, rather than forage (which is usually the most likely cause) steroids suppress the immune system, I have found Rosa has picked up since coming off the steroids. But talk to your vet and be guided by them, I am no expert only sharing our journey.

Thank you for your reply. I have been crying for days! I’m not ready to let him go yet. We did start him on vitamin e and milk thistle on vets advice however he’s since stopped wanting his hard feed because he knows we’ve been putting foreign things in it and he isn’t very trusting. He has been treated with a course of antibiotics but that hasn’t impacted him at all. He was brighter when he was on pain relief which we have now put him back on because the vet was worried about the impact on his liver but now has decided it’s better to get him comfortable. His bile and bilirubin were both ok. His second blood results showed the low iron and the low rbc and the vet was the inclined to rule out worming him so he is currently on 5 ray guard. Our boy is too old for us to send him to liphook and I don’t want to stress him out but I am in such despair and have been worried sick day and night. Sorry if a silly question but if it was a virus how do you treat?

 

[Charrose77]

Thank you for your reply. I have been crying for days! I’m not ready to let him go yet. We did start him on vitamin e and milk thistle on vets advice however he’s since stopped wanting his hard feed because he knows we’ve been putting foreign things in it and he isn’t very trusting. He has been treated with a course of antibiotics but that hasn’t impacted him at all. He was brighter when he was on pain relief which we have now put him back on because the vet was worried about the impact on his liver but now has decided it’s better to get him comfortable. His bile and bilirubin were both ok. His second blood results showed the low iron and the low rbc and the vet was the inclined to rule out worming him so he is currently on 5 ray guard. Our boy is too old for us to send him to liphook and I don’t want to stress him out but I am in such despair and have been worried sick day and night. Sorry if a silly question but if it was a virus how do you treat?

I don’t know what the vets would suggest for virus, we treated as if it was mycotoxins as we didn’t think it was a virus until last week. Since then she is off everything apart from forage guard and trinity L94. But I think probably antibiotics would be suggested anyhow so perhaps you have done the right thing anyway?! Definitely chat to vet.

 

[Mockingbird]

I’m very sorry to hear about your boy, that’s a horrible thing to come home to. We ended up having a virologist out last week and she is absolutely convinced it’s a virus…….even though all the vets have aid that is unlikely (she did say that is exactly what they would say!). And I would say in your boys case the fact that his SAA is 349 you may also consider virus for him. Don’t panic, Rosa’s blood were truly awful for 6 weeks, her GGT was 964 last week, but the blood test we did this week has showed she has improved hugely in just 7 days. What are his Bile Acids? I believe that is the one you need to worry about more than the GGT. There seems to be a lot of liver problems this year, you are definitely not alone. I have my Rosa onto something from Trinity consultants called L94, I can’t tell you if that is what has helped but I would definitely say it’s worth a try. Also call Simon at Trinity and email him your blood test, he will give you good info, very very helpful. If you are not on any medication I would put him on a good vitamin E supplement (feedmark do one or the best one is Dura E, but it’s expensive) and perhaps some milk thistle, I had been told to hold off the milk thistle until she finished her steroids. Now, if it is a virus, rather than forage (which is usually the most likely cause) steroids suppress the immune system, I have found Rosa has picked up since coming off the steroids. But talk to your vet and be guided by them, I am no expert only sharing our journey.

My mare is only 6 and has a GGT of 927 and AST of 652 that was found accidentally on a routine blood test checking for infection after choke the only advice I’ve neen
Given is to retest in 6 weeks and give her milk thistle and a liver tonic.

 

[Mockingbird]

My horse has been suffering from liver disease since July last year. (Cause still unknown) He's been on multiply drugs since then and has been though 2 biopsy's.

He's never looked poorly or showed any symptoms of liver disease other than being slightly wobbly when he was first diagnosed.

My questions is have other horses fully recovered from this? I feel that's its 1 steps forward and 3 back. He is in lovely condition, lovely shine to his coat. Lately he seems a bit flat to work, however I do know the warm weather does affect him.

Am I being paranoid that's he's relapsing ?

Thank you for any advice

How did you get on my horse has an incidental finding of high GGT and AST on a routine blood test for something h related. She’s not clinically unwell vets plan is to retest on 4-6 weeks but have been given no advice bar putting her on a liver supplememy

 

[Extreme247]

How did you get on my horse has an incidental finding of high GGT and AST on a routine blood test for something h related. She’s not clinically unwell vets plan is to retest on 4-6 weeks but have been given no advice bar putting her on a liver supplememy

My horse is thriving at the moment, he was diagnosed also at 6yrs olds and is now 13. His liver (last tested in Feb is the best its ever been)