They don't "remove" a shunt...They put a ring around it that closes it off little by little. Also, it's very important that they do a liver biopsy while they are in there so that you can know if Max also has underlying MVD which many dogs do have. That's why it's so important to keep Max on the special food, lactulose and supplements for months, maybe a year after the surgery (if they repair it). A couple of months after the surgery(if they don't find MVD), you need to have another bile acid test done to see if the numbers have gone down to normal. If the numbers have gone down to normal, then great, that means the shunt was closed off successfully, but keep in mind that 15% of dogs develop aquired shunting due to the pressure...
If your dog has MVD, the dog needs to stay on special diet, lactulose, and supplements for life...because I know you've mentioned how bad his symptoms have been. I know of a dog with MVD who lived to be 17 yrs old...So, yes, they can live a normal life too as long as you keep them on their special protocol.
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