A healthy liver has many important roles, including breaking down harmful substances, removing waste products from the blood, storing nutrients and vitamins, and moderating chemical levels in the body. When the liver becomes diseased these important functions can be disrupted.
Liver failure occurs when large parts of the liver become damaged beyond repair and the liver is no longer able to function. Liver failure is a life-threatening condition that demands urgent medical care. Most often liver failure occurs gradually and over many years. However, a more rare condition known as acute liver failure occurs rapidly and can be difficult to detect initially.
For many liver diseases, diets may need to be altered to maintain proper nutrition and caloric intake. Specific diets may be recommended depending on the diagnosis. Some animals may have reduced appetites or refuse to eat. In these cases, the pet may need to be force-fed with a syringe or a feeding tube will need to be placed. Dogs with copper storage disease need to be placed on a special diet low in copper. A daily vitamin and mineral supplement is often advised for pets with liver disease to help prevent deficiencies. If copper storage disease is diagnosed, this supplement should not contain any copper.
If your body mass index is above 25, a diet and exercise program may reduce the amount of accumulated fat in your liver. The most effective diet is rich in fiber and low in calories and saturated fat, with total fat accounting for no more than 30 percent of total calories. But go slowly. Aim to lose 10 percent of your body weight over six months, because rapid weight loss may lead to a worsening of liver disease. Even if you aren't overweight or obese, a healthy diet and daily physical activity may reduce inflammation, lower elevated levels of liver enzymes and decrease insulin resistance.
The most important measure in the treatment of alcoholic liver disease is to ensure the total and immediate abstinence from alcohol. This will sometimes require admission to an in-patient medical ward for prophylactic treatment of withdrawal symptoms such as delirium tremens and seizures. Treatment of other associated neurological conditions may also be required. Chronic alcohol abusers often need treatment with vitamins, especially thiamin, to correct the deficiencies that may have resulted from chronic alcohol abuse. Intensive medical treatment of the complications of acute alcoholic hepatitis or cirrhosis is also sometimes necessary, as is the treatment of concurrent infectious and/or metabolic disorders.
Conventional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation; Chemoembolization (injecting cancer-killing drugs into the liver via a catheter) and other interventional cancer treatments. Bile duct drainage via catheter; Stenting (placement of a tiny mesh-metal tube to support the bile duct or a blood vessel in the liver); Intravenous blood pressure-lowering medications; and Liver transplant.
Treatment will also include remedies for complications. For example, for ascites and edema, the doctor may recommend a low-sodium diet or the use of diuretics, which are drugs that remove fluid from the body. Antibiotics will be prescribed for infections, and various medications can help with itching. Protein causes toxins to form in the digestive tract, so eating less protein will help decrease the buildup of toxins in the blood and brain. The doctor may also prescribe laxatives to help absorb the toxins and remove them from the intestines.
