When Ricky, my Havanese, was about 18 months old, back in November 2007, he got his latest vaccine combo, Parvo/Distemper/Hepatitis and had a reaction four days later. He woke me up in the middle of the night, shaking, panting like crazy and not moving when I put him down on the floor. I was so afraid! After an hour, I brought him in to the Vet ER and blood tests revealed his ALT (liver enzyme) was sky-high! A normal maximum level is 100 and at the time, Ricky's ALT was at 1200! He ended up spending the night and during that time, his levels went up to 1800. They were able to bring them down, gave him fluids to bring his high temperature back to normal and he ate a little.
That was the beginning of a very long, frustrating and educational journey into what can cause the liver to go into crisis, how diet can influence an animal's well-being and how vaccines, medication and toxins can change our lives - and not always for the better. It took about 2 years, ultrasounds, biopsies, open surgeries, supplements, medications and many diet changes for Ricky to finally get acceptable ALT levels around 135. That is his "normal" and throughout the ordeal, Ricky was always quite well. He was never sickly, ate well, played with Sammy and with us as usual, slept well and didn't look at all like his liver wasn't quite healthy.
I have learned much about pet nutrition through many, many months of research and consultations. I even got a job in a health food store for cats and dogs almost 4 years ago and it's changed my life. I love it! My desire to share what I've learned is great and I hope you all enjoy the exchanges I hope to have here.
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