Tater and Liver Disease

Page last updated 03/25/2007

We first learned that our darling Tater had liver problems December 2002. In January 2003 we were told it was definitely liver disease. The prognosis didn't look good. We were devastated, she was only 10 1/2, mere middle age in Shih Tzu years.

Originally, our vet recommended Denosyl (S-adenosylmethionine) 225 mg tabs to be given to Tater every other day and
Hills L /D Prescription Diet. Tater didn't like the dry L/D at all, would only eat it if I mixed it with mostly canned. Even then, she would only eat a little.

She was getting sicker with each passing day. My heart was breaking but I refused to give up on her just yet.

And I'm glad I didn't!

I joined a canine liver disease e-group and noticed that many folks were giving their furkids Sunny's Miracle Diet. At first I thought this was some commercial diet I had not heard of before, then I learned it was a home made diet. Sunny, it seems, a Miniature Schnauzer, had made great strides at fighting liver disease once placed on this home cooked diet along with a herbal regimen.

I began searching the web and reading my own herbal remedy reference books to find what I thought was best for Tater. I was surprised to find that many herbal remedies had no scientific evidence that they were effective or even safe but concluded that the herbal regimen that was being given to Sunny was indeed a good one.

Sunny's Miracle Diet

After making some adjustments to the diet, I checked with our vet for her professional opinion. Not only did she think the diet was great but requested to make a copy for her records and another for a recently diagnosed patient.

Gradually, I weaned Tater off the Hills L /D and onto the home made diet. By the time she was completely on the home made diet her enthusiasm for eating had returned. She loved her new diet and started bouncing around the floor happily while I prepared her dish. Something we hadn't seen in months.

Today I think I can safely say that Tater's diet is, indeed, a miracle diet. Since she started on the home made diet and herbal regimen she has been completely free of symptoms. She has regained her zest for life, enthusiasm, and playful nature. At meal time, she becomes so excited about eating that she does a little dance around the kitchen and can't refrain from barking at me to tell me to hurry.

All Tater's bile acids tests done in the since a year after being diagnosed have been normal, and she is doing greast. She turned 14 at the end of April, 2006 and acts happier and healthier than she had in a couple of years prior to her diagnosis.

Here she is happily barking for her supper.

Tater's First Diet

Tater's Second Diet - Yet to come