Casper’s Story: What Happens When a 2-Year-Old Shih Tsu Has Elevated Liver Enzymes—and Everyone’s Giving Different Advice
Casper is a young 2-year-old Shih Tsu—sweet, sensitive, full of energy. I’ve been working with his pet parents on puppy training, diet, and eye issues for over a year. I’m kinda their go-to-everything-dog person. So when they learned that his liver enzymes were elevated during a routine test, alarm bells started ringing. I reminded them that I was a liver disease expert and was ready to help. But what unfolded wasn’t just a liver support protocol—it became a lesson in listening, conflicting advice, and trusting your gut.
✨ The Diagnosis
- Casper’s liver enzymes were elevated, but no specific illness was diagnosed.
- His parents felt scared and overwhelmed, but they followed their veterinarian’s plan: change food to Royal Canin and Hills, stop giving treats and bully sticks, wait, and watch.
- Casper was still young, only 2, and showing no other signs that something wasn’t quite right, except for occasional vomiting, eating grass. picky eater.
- Vet prescribed a supplement I’ve never heard of. And I’m the liver dog lady, so it’s unusual for me to be surprised by the supplement. I had to find out more.
🧬 Food Sensitivity & Findings
I wasn’t satisfied with just switching back to the food I had switched Casper off of. But I understand the Vet’s point of view. To them, Casper was fine before I switched the food. Now enzymes were elevated…so must be the food and treats.
I knew the food I had helped pick out for them was superior to what the Vet was recommending. So, I knew that something else was going on. If it WAS the food, it had to be related to a food sensititivy, not because Royal and Hill’s was better.
- A food sensitivity test showed that Casper might be reacting to ingredients in the diet I had recommended—including beef and organ meat which included his favorite bully sticks.
- Now I needed to find a new food that would eliminate the food sensitivities and explain why or disprove that food had anything to do with his liver enzymes.
- I needed to know why the good food I recommended could or could not be the cause of the elevated liver enzyems. Because if it’s not the food what is it. Vet thinks it’s the food. Ok, then…why is it the best food I recommend and not the crappy food I never recommend.
🩺 The Struggle
This is where things got hard.
- The vet didn’t want the food changed.
- The parents felt torn—do they listen to their trusted vet, or me, a practitioner who’s lived this healing journey and written a book about it?
- Casper was caught in the middle, his behavior reflecting the stress around him.
🍲 What We Did Anyway
- Removed the bully sticks immediately.
- Swapped in liver-supportive food options one at a time.
- Added gentle supplements—including milk thistle, which has always been a cornerstone in my work.
💬 What I Learned (Again)
- Healing isn’t just about protocol—it’s about permission.
- Parents need to feel empowered, not shamed for questioning.
- Vets and healers need to co-create, not compete.
Casper is doing better now. The enzymes haven’t gone back to normal yet, but his overall energy has improved, and the liver load has eased.
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