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06-08-2011, 02:35 PM | #1 |
YT Addict Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Alexandria, MN USA
Posts: 388
| Possible Shunt/Liver Disease Hi everyone! My little Lucy is 3 years old and has been sick off and on for a couple of weeks now, the first vet visit said she had a throat infection and she had 10 days of antibiotics, the last emergency vet visit was due to excessive vomiting, lack of interest in food and also shaking. Today I took her in again because she just doesn't seem to be doing better, she is not throwing up but she has little to no interest in her food and she curls up in a ball and shakes but then she will also have energy and play with her toys too, it kind of goes back and forth from energetic to looking sad and tired. The blood tests came back with an elevated liver enzyme which the vet tells me can be one of a few things: 1)Hepatitis 2)PSS-Portosystmic Shunt 3)Liver Disease They said the vomiting and loose stool may or may not be related to this issue. Tomorrow she is going back for more blood tests (bile acids) to determine what it may be but I have to wait a few days to get those test back and I think I may loose my mind while I am waiting. I hope that she does what they need her to do which is eat after the test but I am not sure that she will. If any of you have experience with this sort of thing can you give me any advice or encouragement/outlook as to what we are looking at here? Anything would be very helpful for me. We gave Lucy a home last October/November because her family was having some turmoil and they weren't able to care for her like she needed so my husband and I happily took her in and fell in love immediately, she has been so healthy up until just a few weeks ago so this is devastating us! So we are new Yorkie parents and we are not used to this kind of stuff, we have a 6 year old lab/springer mix who has been healthy all his life. Anyone with advice, suggestions, etc. please I need it now! I am also grateful for this site!!
__________________ Ann 's:Lucy and :Tubby |
Welcome Guest! | |
06-08-2011, 03:04 PM | #2 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: MA
Posts: 1,252
| The bile acid test is a good place to start to rule out/in liver issues... once you have those results let us know.... that will let you know whether you are looking at shunting in the liver... My pup had a shunt and had it repaired and is doing well..... Keep us updated...I know waiting is so hard to find out the results...
__________________ Kerrianne |
06-08-2011, 03:14 PM | #3 |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| Unfortunately, PSS is a pretty common Yorkie problem along with microvascular dysplasia (you can think of it as microscopic shunts throughout the liver). The bile acids test will give you more info. Depending on if they are elevated and by how much, diagnostic imaging would be next (ultrasound or scintography generally). U/S isn't always great at finding a shunt, but is still useful in liver disease diagnosis. A biopsy may or may not follow and the type of shunts Yorkies get can generally be surgically corrected. She couldn't have gotten into anything toxic, right? If she won't eat the food, they can force feed her.
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 |
06-08-2011, 03:31 PM | #4 |
YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: MA
Posts: 1,252
| My dog was diagnosed with MVD as a puppy... bile acids in the 80's US showed no large shunt....so I was treating him as a MVD pup...few months ago he got very sick (now 4 years old)...repeated bile acids in the 200's and did another US they found a large shunt this time that was missed when he was a puppy...luckily his portal vein was still healthy enough for the shunt surgery... so I agree with Elie May... especially if bile acid numbers come back high but under or around 100...like my Quinn
__________________ Kerrianne |
06-08-2011, 04:03 PM | #5 | |
YT Addict Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Alexandria, MN USA
Posts: 388
| Quote:
Thanks for the information, the Dr did tell me about the possibility of the US and biopsy but I am really hoping that this turns out to be nothing serious. I am hoping they don't have to force feed her. Do you think I should bring in a little of her own food (they didn't say I should or not)? Thanks, Ann
__________________ Ann 's:Lucy and :Tubby | |
06-08-2011, 04:05 PM | #6 |
YT Addict Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Alexandria, MN USA
Posts: 388
| Kerrianne: I will definitely keep you updated. They said the results won't be back until Friday or Monday..I really hope it's Friday!! Thanks everyone!
__________________ Ann 's:Lucy and :Tubby |
06-08-2011, 04:22 PM | #7 |
I ♥ my girls! Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: With My Yorkies
Posts: 18,980
| I don't have any advice or experience with this. Just want you to know that I am sending prayers your way. Please keep us updated.
__________________ Momma to three sweet Yorkie girls Rosie Marie, Mikki Leigh , and Lily Mae Grace! |
06-08-2011, 04:54 PM | #8 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Citrus Heights, California USA
Posts: 1,315
| Sending Prayers your way. Ann, I'm so sorry you and Lucy are going through this. It has to be so hard for you. I hope the vet doesn't find anything serious. We are praying for you and sweet Lucy. xoxoxoxoxo Love, Carol & Calleigh
__________________ Carol & Calleigh Proud member of YAP, THE PINK CLUB,The Spoiled Rotten Club,The Crazy Club Welcome Waggin' |
06-08-2011, 05:20 PM | #9 |
♥ Maximo and Teddy Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 25,041
| Ann, Lucy and you will be in my thoughts and prayers. I'm glad you came to YorkieTalk.
__________________ Kristin, Max and Teddy |
06-08-2011, 05:44 PM | #10 |
Donating YT 30K Club Member | I will keep positive thoughts for Lucy.
__________________ Cali Pixie Roxie : RIP Nikki; RIP Maya;RIP my sweet Dixie girl 1/17/08 http://callipuppyscastle.bravehost.com/index.html |
06-08-2011, 06:36 PM | #11 |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| Usually the preference is a food higher in protein. What they will likely give (Science Diet A/D) is very palatable. You could bring some just in case. Forcing isn't a huge deal. They should be able to get her to swallow a few bites.
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 |
06-08-2011, 07:03 PM | #12 |
YT Addict Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Alexandria, MN USA
Posts: 388
| Thank you all for the well wishes it means a lot to me and Lucy Lou I am sooo happy I found Yorkie talk too!!! It is so great to have this support system! I will keep you updated but probably won't know much until Friday or Monday.
__________________ Ann 's:Lucy and :Tubby |
06-08-2011, 07:23 PM | #13 |
T. Bumpkins & Co. Donating YT Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: New England
Posts: 9,816
| I'm sorry your baby is sick. I agree w/ the others that bile acids is the next step. My Daisy had elevated liver enzymes and Bile Acids of 107 (usually indicative of shunt when it is over 100) but it turns out that she has microvascular dysplasia and not a single shunt. Either way, there is treatment and hope. Keep us posted.
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06-08-2011, 07:38 PM | #14 |
Resident Yorkie Nut Donating YT 20K Club Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Texas
Posts: 27,450
| Welcome to YT Ann! I will keep your sweet Lucy Lou and you in my thoughts and prayers. Will check for updates.
__________________ |
06-09-2011, 06:50 PM | #15 |
YT Addict Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Alexandria, MN USA
Posts: 388
| Update Hi everyone! Lucy was a very good little girl today and very brave when she had her blood taken (twice)! They had a hard time trying to get her to eat so I went back and was able to get another teaspoon or two into her but she was not happy about eating-too many distractions there I think but we got enough in her hopefully. I was told that we will hear something either tomorrow or Monday about the results of the bile acids test. I did find out that normal liver levels should be around 110 and hers were over 900!! I am hoping for the best though! Thanks for all your support and prayers and I will let you know when I have an update on the tests!
__________________ Ann 's:Lucy and :Tubby |
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