YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community - View Single Post

DAB · 12-28-2008, 03:08 PM

My little 6 lb yorkie girl will be seen soon at Tufts University Foster Hospital for Small Animals, located near Boston in Grafton, MA., to confirm my vet's possible diagnosis of Hepatic liver shunt. She was sick with loose bloody stools and vomiting yellow bile 2x between Thanksgiving and Xmas. She is currently on Metronidazole ( 1 ml ) and Peptid AC 2x a day with meals to neutralize the acid in her stomach and stem the toxic breakdown of food to ammonia since her liver is not functioning properly.

Long story short is that I have seen on this forum that the University of Tenn is a leader ( Dr. Karen Tobias) in the field of shunt surgery. Does anyone have info about/experience with the Tufts University Foster Hospital? Has anyone had this surgery done successfully on their yorkies? Has anyone just been advised to treat the condition w. diet and meds but not surgery. What is the survival rate with surgery and or without surgery and just meds? At Tufts, what are the ballpark costs for the diagnostic testing before treatment, surgery costs, and post op costs for follow up hospital visits?

I want the best for my little girl yorkie and I know that Tufts is a top rated university and their Vet School is top notch as well. I live in MA so Tufts is a convenient choice of place to bring my yorkie. However, I need to know if anyone on this forum has had the shunt surgery done there and what were the results? Is your yorkie thriving? What was your experience there like?

Thanks. Please keep my yorkie in your prayers. She is such a sweetheart. I am trying to keep calm but I know this is a serious life threatening condition. Also, I have read online that often times yorkies only on meds may progress to worsening conditions in the months after a positive diagnosis. Surgery is the only fix but is complicated and intense which may also lead to blood pressure problems, etc.

Your comments are appreciated.

12-28-2008, 03:08 PM	#1
DAB Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Chicopeee, MA Posts: 110	hepatic shunt My little 6 lb yorkie girl will be seen soon at Tufts University Foster Hospital for Small Animals, located near Boston in Grafton, MA., to confirm my vet's possible diagnosis of Hepatic liver shunt. She was sick with loose bloody stools and vomiting yellow bile 2x between Thanksgiving and Xmas. She is currently on Metronidazole ( 1 ml ) and Peptid AC 2x a day with meals to neutralize the acid in her stomach and stem the toxic breakdown of food to ammonia since her liver is not functioning properly. Long story short is that I have seen on this forum that the University of Tenn is a leader ( Dr. Karen Tobias) in the field of shunt surgery. Does anyone have info about/experience with the Tufts University Foster Hospital? Has anyone had this surgery done successfully on their yorkies? Has anyone just been advised to treat the condition w. diet and meds but not surgery. What is the survival rate with surgery and or without surgery and just meds? At Tufts, what are the ballpark costs for the diagnostic testing before treatment, surgery costs, and post op costs for follow up hospital visits? I want the best for my little girl yorkie and I know that Tufts is a top rated university and their Vet School is top notch as well. I live in MA so Tufts is a convenient choice of place to bring my yorkie. However, I need to know if anyone on this forum has had the shunt surgery done there and what were the results? Is your yorkie thriving? What was your experience there like? Thanks. Please keep my yorkie in your prayers. She is such a sweetheart. I am trying to keep calm but I know this is a serious life threatening condition. Also, I have read online that often times yorkies only on meds may progress to worsening conditions in the months after a positive diagnosis. Surgery is the only fix but is complicated and intense which may also lead to blood pressure problems, etc. Your comments are appreciated.