Your dog's liver is a critical organ within his or her body and performs at least 500 different jobs. The liver helps by removing waste from the blood, stores and disperses nutrients, regulates temperature and body circulation, works to help with metabolism, digestion and detoxifies drugs and toxins within the body.  Without a properly functioning liver the body will begin to shut down and stop working the way that it should. 

Unfortunately there are many types of medically related problems that can cause liver disease in our dogs, such as a viral infection that caused the liver to become inflamed, deterioration of liver cells or tissues, chronic hepatitis, cancer and several more.  Additionally there are many specific breeds of dogs that are more prone to develop liver disease such as the, Australian Cattle dog, Bernese Mountain dog, Boxer, Cairn Terrier, Chihuahua, Doberman Pinscher, Golden Retriever, Irish Wolfhound, Keeshond, Labrador Retriever, Maltese, Pomeranian, Pug, Saint Bernard, Samoyed, Sheepdog, Shih Tzu, Toy Poodle and Yorkshire Terrier.

Many pet owners whose dog suffers from liver disease do not have success with traditional medical therapy and fear that there are no other options for treatment.  However, it has been proven that with the help of a great holistic veterinarian, even extremely damaged livers can be restored to health.

Depending on the exact cause and condition of the liver disease, a holistic therapy to treat the problem might include Milk Thistle and Alpha Lipoic Acid, both of which are nutrients that can help to restore a damaged liver.  The milk thistle contains properties that stimulate new cell production and protect liver cells from damage.  The alpha lipoic acid promotes antioxidants and helps with detoxification.