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Old 10-12-2010, 09:09 PM   #9
gaijingirl
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 283
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I totally agree with Ladymom in that you will be much better off getting to a specialist ASAP. If your dog does have a shunt or MVD, you'll need to get to a specialist to get the most accurate testing (scintigraphy, biopsy) anyway and they will repeat anything your GP will do. You'll save yourself a lot of time and money in the end.

I would also suggest that you look at joining the Yahoo Liver Shunt and MVD Support Group. You can find a lot of information there.

Even if your dog doesn't have a shunt, those BA test results seem high and may indicate MVD. From what I understand, it is usually results over 100 that would indicate a shunt, but not always the case, and Scintigraphy is the only way to know for sure if a shunt is present.

My dog was (finally) diagnosed with MVD at UT through Biopsy about a month and a half ago. He also had a lot of GI problems (clostridial overgrowth producing endotoxins), which was really what was making him sick all the time. It took a long time to figure out what it was. He wasn't necessarily showing symptoms of liver disease, which was why we did not look at that as what was causing the big problem, but according to his specialist, the symptoms of the bacterial overgrowth was exacerbated by MVD. So, at least having the GI symptoms made us look at other things, allowing us to discover MVD sooner, rather than later.

Others might know more on this, but I *think* that dogs with MVD do often have normal CBC results.

Also, you may want to talk to your vet about changing your food. If your dog does have liver disease you will need to have her on the right diet to help her live a normal life. I would be concerned that if she does have it, the food you are feeding is too high in protein.
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