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

Lolasmom1211 · 03-13-2009, 11:15 AM

I am going to try to make this reply as unemotional as possible, because I know there is a lot of emotion involved when you are hit with this news and you just want answers. I have a 1 yr old yorkie that I always suspected had a liver shunt becasue she was so small (2.5 - 3 lbs) and would not eat. I was reassured by my vet that she was showing no neurological signs and was just spoiled and most probably did not have a shunt because she was gaining weight. I tried to get them to do the Bile Acid Test several times but they felt it was unnecessary. My Lola was supposed to be spayed in March, but after reading a story about a little female that was liver compromised and spayed that did not make it through the surgery, I insisted 2 1/2 weeks ago that we do the BAT. Two days later the results came back abnormally high. They wanted to run other tests after this. I started to do A LOT of research and found a group on Yahoo (Liver_Shunt_And_MVD_Support · Liver Shunt & MVD/HMD Support) that has been invaluable. I decided not to have any further tests run here, but to take Lola to the experts at University of Tennessee, Dr Tobias, to have the tests done. They did a scintigraphy on Thursday, 3/5/09 that did show a shunt. They closed the shunt last Friday, 3/6/09, and I picked her up Saturday evening. We have not had one complication and Lola is doing great. The surgery was much less at UT than it would have been at the specialist here, so it came out the same once I paid for the hotel and air. I was worried about Lola being so small and they say the 24 hours after surgery is just as important as the surgery itself. I can not say enough wonderful things about Dr Tobias and UT. They do many of these each week - the surgeon I was referred to in Houston said they only do 1-3 per week. You do have to keep them calm for 2 weeks after the surgery, and have them retested (BAT) 3 months post op to see if that was the only shunt or if they were tiny ones that have to be maintained by diet. Good luck - please let me know if you have any other questions...it is still very fresh in my mind.

03-13-2009, 11:15 AM	#9
Lolasmom1211 Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 664	I am going to try to make this reply as unemotional as possible, because I know there is a lot of emotion involved when you are hit with this news and you just want answers. I have a 1 yr old yorkie that I always suspected had a liver shunt becasue she was so small (2.5 - 3 lbs) and would not eat. I was reassured by my vet that she was showing no neurological signs and was just spoiled and most probably did not have a shunt because she was gaining weight. I tried to get them to do the Bile Acid Test several times but they felt it was unnecessary. My Lola was supposed to be spayed in March, but after reading a story about a little female that was liver compromised and spayed that did not make it through the surgery, I insisted 2 1/2 weeks ago that we do the BAT. Two days later the results came back abnormally high. They wanted to run other tests after this. I started to do A LOT of research and found a group on Yahoo (Liver_Shunt_And_MVD_Support · Liver Shunt & MVD/HMD Support) that has been invaluable. I decided not to have any further tests run here, but to take Lola to the experts at University of Tennessee, Dr Tobias, to have the tests done. They did a scintigraphy on Thursday, 3/5/09 that did show a shunt. They closed the shunt last Friday, 3/6/09, and I picked her up Saturday evening. We have not had one complication and Lola is doing great. The surgery was much less at UT than it would have been at the specialist here, so it came out the same once I paid for the hotel and air. I was worried about Lola being so small and they say the 24 hours after surgery is just as important as the surgery itself. I can not say enough wonderful things about Dr Tobias and UT. They do many of these each week - the surgeon I was referred to in Houston said they only do 1-3 per week. You do have to keep them calm for 2 weeks after the surgery, and have them retested (BAT) 3 months post op to see if that was the only shunt or if they were tiny ones that have to be maintained by diet. Good luck - please let me know if you have any other questions...it is still very fresh in my mind.