Quote:
Originally Posted by kjc  The newer info from UT (Re: Breeding vs pet): The University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine - Liver Shunt Research
Bottom line is we don't know how it's passed. All breeding dogs should have normal fasting and fed bile acids (true normal -- i.e. less than 10 and less than 20; versus "okay as a pet" normal, i.e. 25-40 range). At the very least, dogs that have produced puppies with shunts should not be bred to the same lines (their own or that of the other parent). Obviously the best breeders would never breed the parents again, and they may consider spaying and neutering the littermates as a "just in case" precaution. If, however, shunts are found in all lines of Yorkies, then even that may not solve the problem.
This (below) is why my vet opted to treat Tink through Medical Management. Portosystemic Shunts FAQ Can dogs with shunts be treated with only medical management?
Most animals improve immediately with proper diet and medicine, and about one third of the dogs treated medically will live a relatively long life. Unfortunately, over half of the dogs treated medically are euthanized, usually within 10 months of diagnosis, because of uncontrollable neurologic signs, such as seizures and behavior changes, or progressive liver damage. Dogs that tend to do well with longterm medical management are usually older at the time of diagnosis, have more normal bloodwork, and have less severe clinical signs. Surgery provides the best chance for a long healthy life in most dogs. |
Since surgery is the best chance for a long healthy life in most dogs, and because your dog was young (age 2?) at the time of dx, I still can't understand the "medical management" option. I also do not understand the failure to immediately refer to internal medicine for those #s which are 5 times normal and "markedly" elevated. And, L/D and denamarin did not bring her down because her BATs went up to nearly 300 (15x normal) as you said around the time of the rancid grease.
By the way, how long does it take grease to go rancid?