Raised liver enzymes ? Good stories please?

pistolpete

pistolpete

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My horse had vague mild lameness/stiffness. I asked for a blood sample as I wondered about a virus and his liver figures have come back quite high. Everything else on bloods within normal ranges. Now on antibiotics for a month with rest. Vet will retest then and biopsy liver if figures still high.
 
I have been battling this with my 3 all year; finally was getting some good results (blood tests every 6 weeks) and pony started being difficult at weekend. Bloods done yesterday rests back today.

Biopsy inconclusive; vet has no idea what is causing this it it is something they have eaten/are eating.

Same symptoms; stiff behind as they are finding it uncomfortable to bring their hind legs underneath them. They look lame but in actual fact it is pain coming from the liver.
 
Hi. My mare had this back in the summer. She was put on a supplement from the vet, Legaphyton?? not sure of the spelling. she was on it for two months and on box rest for a month before allowing short periods of grazing and her last blood tests came back normal :) we didn't need the biopsy though it was the next step after the supplement. she also showed signs of lameness before, though it wasn't linked to this but thinking about it now, it could well have been.....
 
My mare had raised liver enzymes for about four months this year - she went right off her food, vet blood tested and put her on antibiotics and a liver supplement for 3 months. They did slowly come down, but did fluctuate. She was rested for 2 months and the vet recommended a biopsy after 3 months, however I wanted to wait another few months before I considered that. as it seems to me that most biopsies come back inconclusive and I didn't want my mare having one unless it was really necessary. Also the vet was at a loss as to why the enzymes were so high as ragwort poisoning was out of the question. Most probably a micro toxin or a virus - mare is now fully recovered, with no liver damage.
 
Exactly the same; 2 months field rest and fluctuating levels. Had the all clear at end of Feb then raised again 6 weeks later.

4 weeks on antibiotics each time only treatment left is steroids but 2 of mine are fatties so can't risk it. Last resort is starving the two fatties (they have been on restricted grazing all year but being on field rest has not helped and they need some grass to keep liver functioning) and trying steroids. Fed up with it all really I only just got back up to to jumping after getting back on in July. (Was away all of September) and now it's back again and there seems the be no reason for it.
 
Yep. One of mine had this earlier this year. Weight loss (is normally a fatty) and quiet. Took bloods as he had a snotty nose that wouldn't go despite lots of antibiotics. Raised liver enzymes. Vet gave me tincture of milk thistle (which is apparently much stronger than the herbs you get). I think he had 4 weeks worth but can't quite remember. He probably had another course of antibiotics too although it's a bit fuzzy as I have had so much illness with mine this year! All normal on next blood test. Have been told the milk thistle is brilliant before.
 
Depends on the reason for the raised liver enzymes - may not be the liver that is the problem. When HP had AM his liver enzymes were raised - I nearly fainted thinking "What else can go wrong" but he told me not to worry it was because the liver was working bl**dy hard to clear the toxins & muscle enzymes. Sure enough, as muscle enzyme levels fell so did the liver enzymes.
 
Yes it toxin levels -but we don't know the reason for the raised toxin levels.

Mine have been on milk thistle all year - no difference. They are also on a liver supplement from the vets which also doesn't appear to be working.

Mine did g lose weight at all; just started rearing. If was always when he was scared of something and I had my leg on- turned out was the leg not the fear.
 
I had a TB with raised liver enzymes, no apparent (or obvious cause). To be honest they did bloods and found it. It was just there, didn't do anything.
Is is possible the stiffness/lameness is early arthritic changes, or low grade laminitis, or a ligament or tendon issue? Have his legs been checked out properly?
 
Gosh thank-you everyone lots of interesting points there. Yes full lameness work up done not that long ago. Horse is ex Rockley farm. He had been bucking wonder if that was related to stomach/liver pain? Looks like it's not a quick fix then? I have just ordered som Global Herbs Restore as heard good things about it. Horse won't take the Liver supplement supplied by vet!
 
Not quite same thing but liver related, my son's pony spent two nights in horsespital with acute hepatitis. Never got to the cause but is was suspected just to be a virus. She was treated with antibiotics and I was given a liver tonic for her which she wasn't too fussed on. Liver scan showed no long term damage. I have been feeding her D&H milk thistle ever since. She's fine now, had a few weeks off and back in work. Hope yours gets better soon.
 
My youngster that I sold had raised liver enzymes he was on steroids and antibiotics I spoke to the Dodson and Horrell nutritionist and she gave me a diet best to support him I also fed milk thistle she is very experienced in horses livers I cant remember her name but I was recommended to speak to her by someone on here and she made a huge difference!
 
OP I would definitely get some milk thistle (is relatively cheap - is supposed to help (although hasn't done anything obvious for mine)) and vitamin E.

Got my blood results back today and they are still really high - back on the supplements and then re-test again in 6 weeks. Given up really, was meant to clip this weekend not sure if I can be bothered now as I doubt we will be doing anything except walking at this rate.
 
Those of you with long term issues, are your horses still out on the same grazing? If so I'd be looking at moving off and seeing if that makes a difference.
 
Ergot in rye grass? Heaven knows how you would test though. Others could be oak leaves, acorns, any of the plants on the poisonous plants list, look on the BHS site. Buttercups could be the culprit too if enough ingested. Sounds like staggers though which is normally ergot. But that should improve if you bring the horses in and feed hay from a safe source. If it was a virus blood test should show it up so presumably it isn't as vet would have mentioned it. Good luck and hope you find out what it is.
 
Vet said it might be a virus but bloods didn't really support this. How come other horses on yard okay? I know of at least three that are testing clear at the moment. Big yard of sixty horses. I guess lots of viruses.
 
Liver issues are a mine field! My horses levels have raised for over a year, have dropped since the initial blood was taken but never got back to normal. Meds are helping but my next step is too move yards. Other horses have been tested but mine seems the only one who is allergic to something. However I do want to rule out it's not something in the water source.
Good luck!
 
I moved yards and tests came back worse than ever. Changed hay as well (did process of elimination) they get fed hi fi lite and Spillers fibre cubes; have been feeding that for about 10 yrs and have been through countless bags.

I feed restore when worming and also change of seasons and have done so for about 7 yrs.

Vets stumped really big said lots of horses have liver issues but owners don't know unless there is severe weightloss or behavioural issues etc. even his wife's horse had a liver problem which they only realised when had blood test for something else.

We even did all the cushings test etc everything all clear. No virus or anything.

Vet said it is a long haul back to normal and will probably have to feed liver supplement forever.
 
It certainly is! I just him healthy so we can crack on!!
Out of interest what meds and supplements is your horse taking CB? Have your levels gone back to normal now?
 
My mare had high liver enzymes when blood tested while in the clinic with an impaction almost two years ago. No cause ever worked out (although have my suspicions!) apart from the fact she must have been eating something dodgy (all other horses were fine) blood tested again a few weeks later and levels were dropping so just added milk thistle to her feed. Blood tested again recently as she's been under the weather and thankfully liver is absolutely fine now :D unfortunately she's got cushings though!
 
Liver support supplement devised by vets (most clinics have their own supplements these days) and milk thistle every day. Once a week vit B syringe. Had 4 weeks antibiotics when severe flare up.
We have had 3 lots of bloods back so far - first lot really bad, second lot they showed 25% improvement and last lot show that there is a 50% improvement (on the original numbers).

If we keep this up they should be back in normal range by end of year. That will mean they will have been on these supps for a year.

Montyforever what did you suspect?
 
Sounds like everything is going really well for you & your horse.
What does the vit b do? My vet hasn't recommended a supplement yet.
I'm just desperate to get my boy back to full health
 
We went thru this several years ago with an oldie, she's still here in her mid twenties to tell the tale!
Low protein diet - happy hoof, with Micronised Flaked maize if we need to add weight. Hepatcyl (milk thistle, but good quality as recommended by vet) we also added echinacea to help with her immune system.

We did about 6 months of antibiotics in the end and she was the only one of 6 affected. We avoided the biopsy - we did a ultrasound scan, lovely rectangular patch that went across her side and took ages to regrow, but not the same risk as a biopsy, lots of blood tests from RCVS, the person there said that they could tell there was no legions (ragwort poisoning displays this) and the ducts were clear, I also contacted Ainsworths, the homeopathic pharmacy (I know some people think its twaddle but who really knows?) and they prescribed some stuff for about £30.

Anyway, the big thing is time, being patient give him time, I was told if there was an organ in the body to be affected the best one is the liver, as its the only one that can regenerate!

Also Box of Frogs (not seen her on here for a while?) is the expert, suggest you look at some of her older posts!

Good luck and hope it comes right
 
nuttychestnut said:
Sounds like everything is going really well for you & your horse.
What does the vit b do? My vet hasn't recommended a supplement yet.
I'm just desperate to get my boy back to full health
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Boosting immune system generally. It has actually affected all 3 of my horses. At first I thought it was only 1, but nope, it was all 3. They are all on the same grazing/hay/feed so it had to be something they ate. No ragwort poisoning (biopsy ruled that out). The important things is the bile acid levels - my horses' are all back in range which means the liver is working. Previously they were really high and one of them showed extensive liver damage which is now healing.

My vet thinks I ought to give up horses and keep goldfish. He has been through almost every type of lameness/surgery with my 3 over the last 9 years. I am sure I am responsible for the new stable block they built at the clinic.
 
Haven't read all the replies so apologies if I'm repeating what someone else has said.

My horse had raised liver enzymes at the beginning of 2013, we tried antibiotics which made no difference, we had a liver biopsy done which showed that despite the high levels his liver was really not in that bad shape. Vet then prescribed steroids which worked very quickly, within about 6 weeks his levels were completely normal. I then put him on global herbs restore and immuplus. I then had his blood tested 2 further times and the levels remained within normal boundaries. After about 6 months I stopped feeding him the restore and immuplus, and he's been fine since. (Touch wood!)

I spoke in detail to my vet about how my horse could have ended up with raised liver enzymes as he hadn't had access to anything poisonous. She mentioned that a link had been made with toxins in grass and hay causing liver problems, although there isn't formal evidence, my vet certainly believed that there was a link. If all else fails I'd look at taking your horse off its grazing and changing hay suppliers, it's worth a shot. I know KatPT on here had real problems with her horse having raised liver enzymes, and I believe it was either a change of grazing or hay that finally got things back under control.
 
CBAnglo said:
Montyforever what did you suspect?
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Psychopath livery at the yard i had recently moved from would put nails/knives in her stable. Wouldn't be far fetched to think she would feed her something dodgy really! She often had pulses in her legs in the mornings despite having been off the grass and only eating soaked hay.
 
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