[Brodies Mommy]

Originally Posted by kjc

The procedures used, the success rate of each procedure, and the timeline of it all being done differs greatly from hospitals/clinics, and the vets experience in performing the individual procedures.

Just to let you know, I am a retired vet tech of 20 years, my own dog has LS and is on medications while awaiting further testing and surgery to control her symptoms, and as I stated before in quite a few of my posts to this thread, the most experienced vets, with the highest success rate for ameroid constrictor LS surgery (considered best and safest procedure) in the world, is the University of Tennessee. All the info you ask is contained on their website, I do not have the time to retype it or copy it here. Each hospital performing LS surgery of whatever type should have their statistics listed on their websites. I have done this research, and given you this information. It is your choice at this point in time, to read what I have posted and learn from it, or just ignore me completely. I do not have the time to keep repeating myself.


Your pup's BAT results are very high, from all the results I've ever seen, way higher than my dog's results. If you do not take care of this problem in a timely fashion, you will be putting your pup at risk of permanent liver damage, Hepatic Encephalopathy, possible seizures, and death. In short, if he has a shunt, which his BAT results indicate he does, his blood is being routed around his liver, and the toxins from the food he eats are not being removed from his blood. His blood is basically poison to him. You need to get him on meds to assist his liver and keep it as healthy as possible, until the time you decide to have surgery done to repair (close off ) the shunt.

I wish you luck, and my prayers to you and Brodie for a successful resolution to your dilema.

I have read EVERYTHING you have posted as well as UP AND DOWN that website. NO where in that website does it say "dogs will have surgery on Monday .... and usually be able to go home in ___ days". I know you have kept up very well with me and should know taht I need an EXACT number of days to ask off from my job. I can't just not show up. So if I take off 4 days and Brodie needs to be there 5 are they going to throw him in a UPS box and ship him back?! I think not! Also, I read the stories of other dogs with shunts. I read nothing about any dog that had survived beyond his initial surgery!? How long after the surgery do they live? Do they live a normal life? Maybe I wasn't clear in my questions. What I wanted to know is anyone that had a shunt dog and what his life was like 1, 3, 5 years down the road. I have been in contact with Dr Center's since I posted. She currently is in Africa, so isn't able to call me or be at the center to look at my little pup. I'm sorry you feel as though I am wasting your time and you keep repeating yourself (which you do, I agree). But the questions I am asking you aren't answering. I know WHERE to bring him. I know he NEEDS surgery. I want to know what that surgery is like for my baby and what his life will be like after. I cried reading the doggy stories on UT's site. How horrible that some people give up their little ones and others get surgeries and die. I hope and pray Brodie doesn't have this luck! Please don't think I am ignoring you. I very much appreciate your help and kindness, I just want more information on what to prepare for for the rest of Brodie's life. He is, after all, only one year old. I hope we have many more years to look forward to together!