My local vet's office finally called yesterday to let me know that I do have some time and so to wait for the referral center's vet to return from vacation (a week and 1/2) to do the ultrasound on Nicky.
So I've been researching, reading tons of stuff. Trying to filter the marketing hype from the facts. So far I have identified the U of Penn's Vet Teaching Hospital Department and the Animal Medical Center in NYC (has the latest equipment and says they know how to use/read the results). I'm not done with research yet, though.
I was on the phone yesterday with other referral centers and a receptionist said that for what I'm looking for (correct diagnosis) I need a Radiologist (this is where AMC in NYC comes in, plus they believe in least invasive, high accuracy
).
Reading about the ultrasound not being as reliable to find a shunt, I preferred the Scintigraphy, but I wonder if there's a difference between a Nuclear Scintography and a Transcolonic Portal Scintography, because the former says it needs anesthesia/sedation and the latter says it does not
Some sites say that Postprandial (after feeding BAT) numbers above 100 are suspicious of LS and my Nicky's was 97.3 (I know, too close anyway), but could be mistaking with HMD (Hepatic Microvascular Dysplasia), which could appear in dogs without LS. Some of the same symptoms of LS may be present and since Nicky's been misdiagnosed before, this time I need doctors to get it right. Someone here said that in the 80s it could mean multiple shunts
So, I made an appointment for a second opinion with a holistic vet that treated Nicky before. She's from Cornell U and I'm hoping she can direct me to the fastest most direct way to tackle this.
If I'm going to be needing a bull's-eye diagnosis and a Scintigraphy is the closest and most likely where I'll end up anyway, I want to cut out the middle man and go straight to the method that will give me what I want...the right diagnosis.
I was looking at some videos of Yorkies with LS today and it broke my heart. What are the chances of both my furkids having LS ???? Nini wonders sometimes, vomits, sleeps long hours and presses her face on the floor. I thought maybe she's just imitating her brother Nicky. I'm having her checked too, just in case
I guess the stress of these few days got to me. I started crying uncontrollably when I saw the videos in Youtube, fearful that this may be the problem with my babies. Nicky's never seen me cry before and so naturally he freaked. He ran to me and started scratching at me leg to pick him up and now he's on my lap kissing me with worried eyes and taking little naps while I work on this, but not letting his mommy out of his sight. He's such an angel
That's where I am. I'm going to follow on the advise you've given me and continue to research more
THANK YOU again
