|
Welcome to the YorkieTalk.com Forums Community - the community for Yorkshire Terriers. You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. You will be able to chat with over 35,000 YorkieTalk members, read over 2,000,000 posted discussions, and view more than 15,000 Yorkie photos in the YorkieTalk Photo Gallery after you register. We would love to have you as a member! Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today! If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please click here to contact us. |
|
| LinkBack | Thread Tools |
08-13-2009, 04:54 PM | #1 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2009 Location: Athens, GA, USA
Posts: 20
| "portosystemic shunts" I took my puppy to the vet today to be spayed and during the pre-op tests, he found that she has a portosystemic shunt. He had sort of suspected this at one point a while ago. Very occasionally in the past, she would wake up in the AM very shaky and woozy. I thought this might be hypoglycemia, so I'd feed her from my hand and then she'd feel better. It stopped happening about 3 months ago, so we thought it was hypoglycemia and was no longer a problem. She just turned a year old a few days ago and has had her first and only heat. She is actually 1/4 lhasa, but you cannot see it at all. She weighs 3.7 lbs but was 1.6 when I first got her. So she has grown, although is still tiny. I have to take her to the local vet school now for the surgery. She is terrified of even going in the car because she thinks she's going to the vet (we do take her other places from time to time) and now she even cries when she sees the car. It upset me more than I could ever show because I adore this little girl. We used to have a policy that we couldn't afford thousands of dollars for a pet if that ever came up and I plainly told my husband (who agreed) that I completely disagree with my own policy now that my girl is sick. Now, speaking of that, she is sick today (they started the anesthesia partially because she was so scared they couldn't do the pre-ops), but before I took her over this AM, and up till now, she is a wild happy little thing - fights with the lhasa we have like a 'linebacker' as my son says. You'd never know, except for those few times a while back, that she had any problem at all. Any words of wisdom, advice, comfort would be greatly appreciated. It seemed like yesterday all was well and now we know this and I am so worried to lose her or for her to have a difficult life.
__________________ Rosie and Charley's Mama |
Welcome Guest! | |
08-13-2009, 05:14 PM | #2 |
YT Addict Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Posts: 260
| portosystemic shunts Many of us on this web site understand your fear. We've had puppies who have gone through serious surgery. Just be sure you have absolutely the best vet you can find, and someone who has a good bit of experience with this kind of surgery. My baby had his surgery at a University Veterinary Hospital. I love my local vet, but for anything serious, I will always go back there. I think statistics are very important: number of surgeries of that kind, success rates, etc. I'm sure you know all of this already, abd will be very careful. I just hate thinking of these tiny babies going through all of that Let us know when the surgery will be, and we'll pray for you and your baby. |
08-13-2009, 06:13 PM | #3 |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| Hmm, did the vet do an ultrasound? If the blood work was run in-house, there is no way that the vet could have been sure that a shunt is present. It could be microvascular dysplasia (MVD) or small shunting throughout the liver that is inoperable.
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 |
08-14-2009, 06:39 AM | #4 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2009 Location: Athens, GA, USA
Posts: 20
| Thank you so much for your replies! I read about this issue last night and do agree that I will have the vet school (UGA, which does have a great reputation) verify the diagnosis. I do trust our vet, but I must say that Rosie doesn't exhibit any of the symptoms that I've read. She is very lively and shows no signs of issues after eating. She eats like a little horse, in fact! She does occasionally throw up, and did have that woozy, wobbly issue, but that was actually resolved by feeding her and doesn't happen anymore. So, I agree in that I want verification of this diagnosis before any surgery. She is really clingy and whining non-stop yesterday and today, and seemingly starved constantly (I am feeding her, but her stomach just cannot be THAT big, so I'm doing so in batches.) - she has a little tremor too, which is a bit upsetting. But I guess it has to be the pre-anesthesia or just that the whole thing scared her so badly (which really tugs at my heart!) But otherwise, she is not lethargic or woozy at all - if anything, a bit hyper. So, I'm confused, but going to get more information when we go to the vet school next week.
__________________ Rosie and Charley's Mama |
08-14-2009, 06:42 AM | #5 |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| MVD (and even liver shunts at times) ca be asymptomatic. I would guess any shaking going on may be related to her liver unless feeding her stops it almost immediately. Yes, definitely confirm the diagnosis before going to surgery. Not ever the best vet in the world can be sure that some high numbers on routine bloodwork are caused by LS.
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 |
08-14-2009, 06:43 AM | #6 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2009 Location: Athens, GA, USA
Posts: 20
| Oh and yes, I will insist on extensive testing - from what I read, a better diagnosis can be obtained via methods other than blood testing. And this is apparently much, much more common in Yorkies than any other breed - don't care, if I didn't already have 3 dogs (including Rosie), I'd get more! I love these little things - sweet, smart and so loving. Thanks so much!
__________________ Rosie and Charley's Mama |
08-14-2009, 06:45 AM | #7 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2009 Location: Athens, GA, USA
Posts: 20
| The curious thing is that the shaking didn't start till after I picked her up yesterday and the constant whining. It does stop usually after I feed her and hold her. But she wants to eat non-stop. And of course, now she needs treats and from my hand - dog food in my hand isn't even quite good enough. So, I'm being very careful about that, obviously, but I also cannot stand to see her hungry and shaking.
__________________ Rosie and Charley's Mama |
08-14-2009, 06:50 AM | #8 |
Donating YT 5000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Southeast Texas
Posts: 7,959
| I pray your little girl will be okay. What kind of diet is she currently on? |
08-14-2009, 11:43 AM | #9 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2009 Location: Athens, GA, USA
Posts: 20
| She regularly has eaten Rachel Ray's dry dog food - either chicken or beef. Since yesterday, she won't even eat it out of my hand, but only 'people' food - I guess she just really needs comforting after yesterday.
__________________ Rosie and Charley's Mama |
08-14-2009, 11:57 AM | #10 |
Donating YT 5000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Southeast Texas
Posts: 7,959
| If she does have a liver shunt then she should be on a special diet. Has your vet made any recommendations as for her diet? There are many people on here that could give you good advise as to what type of food she should be eating. |
08-14-2009, 08:18 PM | #11 | |
BANNED! Join Date: May 2007 Location: USA
Posts: 11,073
| Quote:
what is the latest update? | |
Bookmarks |
|
|
| |
|
|
SHOP NOW: Amazon :: eBay :: Buy.com :: Newegg :: PetStore :: Petco :: PetSmart