My cat, an 8 year old spayed female has been diagnosed with sterile cholangitis. The vet says she has a lot of irreversible liver damage.
Her veterinarian is using conventional treatments. She is taking prednisolone, Actigall, Denamarin, and anti-nausea/antiemetic meds which I am tapering off since she seems to have her appetite back and is eating well on her own. She still has an e-tube which we will probably remove if she can continue to eat well on her own. I’d like to be less dependent on the conventional drugs especially the steroids which I understand can lead to diabetes.
She eats Nature’s Variety Raw Instinct Chicken and I’ve also been giving her lots of concentrated homemade organic chicken broth as a liquid for more calories. She has never been overweight and has eaten a raw diet most of her life. Her urination and bowel movements are normal. She tested normal on the pancreatitis test and GI tract panel. She still has high liver enzyme numbers but the bilirubin has gone down and she is looking less jaundiced. I don’t know how she got cholangitis. I am hoping that the damage is reversible and/or the liver can regenerate itself. I want to do everything I can to help this happen.
I saw that there are some holistic liver supplements on your website. I also read that you recommended someone take the canine Hepagen-C, half dose along with the Nu Cat supplement. I’m wondering if the Hepagen -C could be taken with the Denamarin which I give her (one pill) every morning on an empty stomach. I’m also concerned that in the description it states that it only be used for dogs. Is there something in it that might be harmful to felines? Thanks for your advice.
Hello,
Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. Denamarin contains both milk thistle and Sam-e, which are primarily for liver issue. Hepagen-C also contains milk thistle but you may offer that at half dose, or you may offer Immunity and Liver Support by PetAlive.
It would be ideal to be able to wean your cat off steroids as they actually primarily affect the liver not cause diabetes. Another supplement that may help is a digestive enzyme to take the workload off the liver and pancreas. Animal Essentials Plant Enzymes and Probiotics may help with the transition when weaning your cat off the feeding tube. Enzymes and probiotics are commonly recommended with animals on a raw diet to aid in digestion.
Cholangitis is also treated with long-term antibiotics. Based on recent observations of bacteria around the bile ducts antibiotic therapy may be a better option than steroids. Best of luck.
Regards,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA