Blood Drug Testing - Blood tests?

Blood tests?

A few months ago one of our dogs had to be put to sleep as she had extensive liver damage that couldn't be treated. The thing is though, she was taking medication for epilepsy and had regular blood tests to see if the tablets were causing any liver damage, but they always came back with good results. I can't understand how this damage was missed by the tests, they even did a test the day she went in with a swollen belly and that came back OK too. I can't understand why the tests didn't identify the liver damage. They wouldn't have changed the outcome, but we could have made a decision to put her to sleep BEFORE she suffered so much. If this test is so inneffective it surely shouldn't be used. Has anyone else experienced this kind of thing?

Public Comments

Just like people that add toxins to their bodies it can happen very quickly with irreversible severe damage.
I have not experienced the same problem although i am very distgusted because my border collie dog has an enlarged heart and we kept taking him to the vets as his breathing was terrible and they did not find anything wrong. We kept asking for a scan but they looked as if they thought we was exagerating. they did not agree to give him a scan until months after we first went there. If the heart problem was seen ealier there is a chance they could have stopped it getting to big. He is on medication now but his life expectancy is very low and he is only 2 years old. Pets dont seem to be treated seriously and vets wages are far to high.
I am very sorry for your dog. All I can say that liver damages just don't pop up suddenly. It takes some time.
So sorry to hear about your dog. Sounds strange. The swollen belly sound like ascites, which is caused by liver damage, in which case the LFTs (liver function tests) would definitely have been abnormal. You need to go back to your vet and ask to see all your dog's LFTs from her records. It may be that the tests had been somewhat abnormal but her epilepsy was so severe that the decision was made to leave her on the medication. Then her liver could have deteriorated faster than expected. Whatever, you need answers - bug them till you get some. We all pay through the nose for vets and we deserve to be fully informed about what goes on with our beloved pets.
The first advice I will give you is NEVER BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS. The more you ask the better off you are. If you aren't happy with the vets service then you need to open your mouth and say something and ask them why and what happened, you also have the choice of taking the animal to another vet if the one you are seeing isn't doing their job the way you think they should be. There are A LOT of dishonest vets out there. Because unfortunately your pet doesn't speak your language, you're at a disadvantage and you think you should trust someone who has gone to school and has a degree for this. People often give Vets too much power over their animals and over themselves as well because they feel like they have no knowledge in what they are trying to get help for. You need to remember, your vet has no more power than you give him or her. As well, trust your instincts and your animal, a lot of animals will give you signs that things are wrong- listen to them. It is true though, liver damage can happen quite fast, depending on how often the test was done. Epilepsy is a harsh thing to deal with and unfortunately even the drugs they treat people with often have harmful effects on the liver and kidneys. Still, I think the vet could have done more and I think you should find a new one. I am sorry for your loss. I wish you the best in your future vet visits and other pets health. Kimber
no but it do not sound good.
alp and alt show liver problems on blood results. did you get a copy of the results? it can come on quickly and it isnt nice. was he on any thing like metacam or meloxicam because over doseing of them can cause irraversable liver problems. why did it have a swollen belly. sounds like it could have been a number of things