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Old 05-01-2007, 11:22 AM   #1
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Default Little Grace With Possible Liver Shunt

Hi Folks,

My name is Debbie and I'm new to the board. I've been trying to find all the posts on here that pertain to liver shunt. I purchased a 10 week old Yorkie last month. She never had a very good appetite and was on the thin side, but the vet checked her and said she looked okay on physical exam. After getting her puppy shot, she got sick and wouldn't eat. We gave her boiled chicken and the vet put her on Science Diet AD. That's when the liver shunt symptoms popped out. Last Wednesday my Mom called me at work and said she thought Grace was dying. I rushed home and got her and ran to the vet. I thought she would be dead by the time I got her there. She was blind, salivating heavily, walking along the walls and had that post seizure look about her. My vet was pretty sure what she was seeing and said to let her put her on IVs all day and see if she could bring her around. She kept her all day and even took her home with her for the night (I just love my vet). The furbaby she gave me back the next day was a different one! She was full of energy and eating her KD like a pig. She is on Biosol and Lactalose too and is gaining weight!! Grace is scheduled to have a bile acid test on Wednesday. I talked to the University of Tennessee today (I live 5 hours away) and they sound wonderful! We are about 95% sure that she will have to have surgery. I checked two places in Columbus (I live in Ohio). One gave an estimate of 1900 - 2700. The girl I talked to today at Ohio State said it would be a minimum of 2800. It's worth the drive and hotel for the 3-4 nights. Has anyone else had the surgery there? What am I in for? Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
Debbie
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Old 05-01-2007, 11:29 AM   #2
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Hi Debbie,
My name is Tammy, I have a little yorkie who has a liver shunt and he had surgery at Univ of Fl, he is doing very well now about 4 mos or so post op. His bile acid tests are still not normal and may not ever be in the normal range. The price they gave me was 1700.00 t0 2400.00, but he ended up doing so well and came home early that the fee for surgery only ended up being 1100.00. He is on Science diet LD. He feels so much better now. There is a great support and informative group atLiver_Shunt_And_MVD_Support@yahoogroups.com. A lot of good people who can help you with information. you can pm me if you have any more questions.
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Old 05-01-2007, 12:12 PM   #3
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Wow, I was feeling so scared just reading your post, I would have probably freaked out, and I've been around doggies my whole life, and have had many Yorkies in my life growing up. I've never dealt with LS so I can't imagine. Bless your heart for taking care of your little girl and making sure she gets the medical attention she needs. Good luck and keep us updated if you can.

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Old 05-01-2007, 12:16 PM   #4
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University of Tennessee is probably the best place to get the liver shunt surgery. Dr. Karen Tobias has extensive experience with liver shunts and actually heads up the research for liver shunts...They do everything from pre-tests to post-op work for around $1400. I know of several people who have had their yorkies' surgeries done there and are extremely happy with the outcome.
I'm so glad your little girl is feeling so much better!! I know it's scary to watch them go through those things...
My yorkie also has a liver shunt, but unfortunately, his was not repairable...
I cannot stress enough the importance of the lactulose. The amount of lactulose should depend on the stool consistency. The stool should be soft but formed and difficult to pick up. Not firm and not diarrhea. If your babies stools are firm, she can get backed up again and the ammonia will go through her system causing HE symptoms(salivating, seizures, head pressing, etc.). If her stool is firm that means she's not getting enough lactulose. Your specialist should be able to tell you how to adjust the lactulose properly.
Also, do not give her any treats that have animal protein in them. Stick to all natural ones for now like apples(peeled and cut up), watermelon(no seeds), carrots, yogurt is very beneficial for them...
I'm sure your vet explained it to you, but animal protein is very hard on their livers because it produces ammonia which in a normal body, is filtered through the liver, but when there is a shunt, it bypasses the liver altogether and the ammonia enters their system causing the symptoms...
Please join http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/L...d_MVD_Support/
The people there are extremely knowledgable and can help you. Also the files section is incredible and has lots of useful information. Just post your situation, and you will get lots of helpful answers.
Also, you could start her on denosyl(sam-e) and/or milk thistle(or marin)...These two supplements are recommended for liver compromised dogs because it helps prevent further damage to the liver and actually helps repair damage that has been done....
Good luck, and if you have any questions, please ask!
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Old 05-01-2007, 04:56 PM   #5
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Thanks everyone for your help! Her bile acid test is tomorrow and I should know for sure on Thursday. As soon as I know that she has a liver shunt, I'll be on the phone to UT. Thank God that she has been feeling so good since we discovered the problem! The vet will not know it is the same dog tomorrow. She has gained some weight and is as bright as a new penny. She'll be 4 months old on the 10th of May and already she's the boss of the house. I have an eleven year old Yorkie (the bigger version) and a Silky Terrier about the same size as the eleven year old and she chases them across the yard. Grace is sassy!

Do they let you see them the day after surgery?
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Old 05-01-2007, 05:07 PM   #6
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I got to see my baby the day after his exploratory surgery where they found that they couldn't fix his shunt.
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Old 05-01-2007, 05:09 PM   #7
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Good luck to you and please keep us posted on the results and outcome!
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Old 05-01-2007, 05:16 PM   #8
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How do they treat your little baby if they can't do surgery? I pray that if Grace has to have a liver shunt, that it be an external one and easily fixed. The next two days are going to drag by. I'm not a very patient person when it comes to waiting for test results, but I know my vet will call me the second she has the results. She's a wonderful vet. The day that Grace was so sick, she even took her home that night so she could have more iv fluid. The only problem with that is that her kids (2 and 4) wanted to keep her. The next morning she was running through the house with the kids!
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Old 05-01-2007, 05:35 PM   #9
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If it's Microvascular dysplasia, they manage it through diet, medication, and supplements. Miko for example is on a low, non-animal protein diet, he takes lactulose (as I explained in a previous post ), and he takes, S-adenosyl(contains Sam-E, milk thistle, l-taurine, zinc, b-complex, etc).
The one thing that I recommend is that they do a liver biopsy while they are in there.

Your vet sounds terrific!!
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Old 05-03-2007, 01:57 PM   #10
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Well, Grace's vet called this afternoon to give me the results of the Bile Acid test. She said to make my surgery appointment because her bile acid results were off the chart! I called UT and Grace has an appointment on 15 May, with surgery on 16 May. Her surgery will be done by Dr. Tobias. From what I've read on here, you can't do any better than her! I was lucky to get her. Hopefully things will go well and we'll have a nice summer!
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Old 05-03-2007, 02:30 PM   #11
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I will pray for your little Grace. My boo-boo will have his liver shunt surgery on the 14th of may, two days before yours. I will keep my fingers crossed for a quick recovery for grace.Good luck
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Old 05-03-2007, 02:55 PM   #12
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I'm praying for your little girl, Grace!!! Dr. Karen Tobias really knows what she's doing.

Booboo's mommy, I'm praying for Booboo too!!
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Old 05-03-2007, 03:09 PM   #13
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Ahhh...I'll say a prayer for little Gracie! You're right...from what I've heard, Dr. Tobias is the best and most knowledgeable! Best wishes to you and Gracie!
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Old 05-03-2007, 03:14 PM   #14
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this is a monthly topic here on yorkie-talk. i feel so bad for everyone who is going throught this.
my question is.... why does it appear to be so common? i see it on this forum all of the time.

good luck to all of you
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Old 05-03-2007, 05:06 PM   #15
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Maria,

I'll be praying for BooBoo too! Good luck! I hope BooBoo and Grace do well. Grace has really done a turnaround with the Science Diet KD, Biosol and Lactalose. She has gained 4 ozs and doesn't look sickly anymore. Maybe this time next year, BooBoo and Grace with be healthy and happy!
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