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

twilson28 · 04-23-2010, 11:14 AM

Hi Jayde,

HomeVet is AMAZING!! They are so fast and efficient with your order. The resident Veterinarian will put the correct dosages on the bottles of the VetriDMG and the HepatoLiquid. (I suggest getting the Hepato liquid cause most dogs go NUTS over the taste - my Chewy thinks its his gravy on his RC).

Chewy had LS surgery November 10, 2009. He was 2 1/2 when he was diagnosed and operated on. Very risky. He seems to be doing great....but we kept him on the meds (low dose antibiotic and lactulose) for about 3-4 months post op. He's now off those, but still only eating RC Hepatic and all the supplements you mentioned, plus I also give him VSL#3 which Olga told me about from the liver disease group. Chewy has very high ALT and liver enzymes and the VSL#3 helps with that issue from the liver shunt.

We're going in next month for his 6 month check-up post-op. We'll have the Bile Acid Test (BAT) redone, as well as urine culture and full blood tests to make sure everything is still great. Then we'll do it again at 1 yr. and probably every 6 months for the rest of his life. Right now - as of his 3 month post-op test, Chewy's surgery is a complete success. All numbers have returned to normal and he's doing great.

However - my Vets didn't figure out what was wrong with Chewy until he was 2 1/2!! Even though I constantly told them something was wrong with him....I am civil with them, but I listen to Olga, Dr. Tobias from U of Tenn. and Dr. Centers from U of Cornell. They KNOW what they are talking about when it comes to liver shunt surgery. The vets, its sad to say, are clueless in my opinion.

Think about it this way - a person goes in for bypass surgery to clean out the arteries in their heart due to poor diet and fatty food. The minute you get out of the hospital, does the Doctor tell you "OK, artery is all clear now - go enjoy a Big Mac at McDonald's"? NO!

But, in effect - what these Vets are telling us is "OK, you dog had a birth defect, was not born with a properly functioning liver, we had to repair the problem, and while other problems like MVD and HMD might arise, the shunnt is repaired - so just go ahead and completely overwork and overload the liver with hard to digest meat protein". Does it make sense? In my honest opinion, no it does not...

Chewy still gets 6 meals a day out of his auto-feeder (my husband and I are both attorneys, so we work alot). He gets RC Hepatic Kibble, pedisure vanilla with added fiber for extra vegetarian protein, and we're now adding in the hard-boiled egg whites to up his protein even alittle bit more. Also - gradual increases are very important - or you could cause their liver to be overwhelmed and create a new shunt...

Honestly - Chewy's getting a great, balanced vegetarian diet - he's happy and healthy. I think he'll be getting the RC Hepatic for life, because its not worth his health to give him something different and risk an adverse reaction.

Best of luck - and if you want even more advice - join the Yahoo Liver Disease Group - I am a member and it is just amazing!

<3Tania, Chewy & Sparky

04-23-2010, 11:14 AM	#25
twilson28 Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ridgefield, NJ Posts: 38	Liver Shunt Hi Jayde, HomeVet is AMAZING!! They are so fast and efficient with your order. The resident Veterinarian will put the correct dosages on the bottles of the VetriDMG and the HepatoLiquid. (I suggest getting the Hepato liquid cause most dogs go NUTS over the taste - my Chewy thinks its his gravy on his RC). Chewy had LS surgery November 10, 2009. He was 2 1/2 when he was diagnosed and operated on. Very risky. He seems to be doing great....but we kept him on the meds (low dose antibiotic and lactulose) for about 3-4 months post op. He's now off those, but still only eating RC Hepatic and all the supplements you mentioned, plus I also give him VSL#3 which Olga told me about from the liver disease group. Chewy has very high ALT and liver enzymes and the VSL#3 helps with that issue from the liver shunt. We're going in next month for his 6 month check-up post-op. We'll have the Bile Acid Test (BAT) redone, as well as urine culture and full blood tests to make sure everything is still great. Then we'll do it again at 1 yr. and probably every 6 months for the rest of his life. Right now - as of his 3 month post-op test, Chewy's surgery is a complete success. All numbers have returned to normal and he's doing great. However - my Vets didn't figure out what was wrong with Chewy until he was 2 1/2!! Even though I constantly told them something was wrong with him....I am civil with them, but I listen to Olga, Dr. Tobias from U of Tenn. and Dr. Centers from U of Cornell. They KNOW what they are talking about when it comes to liver shunt surgery. The vets, its sad to say, are clueless in my opinion. Think about it this way - a person goes in for bypass surgery to clean out the arteries in their heart due to poor diet and fatty food. The minute you get out of the hospital, does the Doctor tell you "OK, artery is all clear now - go enjoy a Big Mac at McDonald's"? NO! But, in effect - what these Vets are telling us is "OK, you dog had a birth defect, was not born with a properly functioning liver, we had to repair the problem, and while other problems like MVD and HMD might arise, the shunnt is repaired - so just go ahead and completely overwork and overload the liver with hard to digest meat protein". Does it make sense? In my honest opinion, no it does not... Chewy still gets 6 meals a day out of his auto-feeder (my husband and I are both attorneys, so we work alot). He gets RC Hepatic Kibble, pedisure vanilla with added fiber for extra vegetarian protein, and we're now adding in the hard-boiled egg whites to up his protein even alittle bit more. Also - gradual increases are very important - or you could cause their liver to be overwhelmed and create a new shunt... Honestly - Chewy's getting a great, balanced vegetarian diet - he's happy and healthy. I think he'll be getting the RC Hepatic for life, because its not worth his health to give him something different and risk an adverse reaction. Best of luck - and if you want even more advice - join the Yahoo Liver Disease Group - I am a member and it is just amazing! <3Tania, Chewy & Sparky