Hi - I just joined yorkietalk tonight, actually.
I've had 3 yorkies (i currently have my 3rd yorkie). I am not a vet nor a breeder, but my first yorkie died at 13 of liver cancer. (BTW, there is no need to keep inoculating your dog for Distemper/Parvo after the first year or two - just check each year by having your vet pull a "titre" to check levels. I think it was the inoculations coupled with the heartworm medication that ruined her liver.) Also, don't have more than one shot given one any one day as these little guys are so fragile and can only take so much meds in them at once (technicians can do this for less than a doctor - so you can space apart the visits for any shots). It's worth it because it's more expensive to deal with tests, etc. later on when they get sick.
As you can tell, I'm fairly yorkie-liver-problems sensitive, as you can imagine....
Anyway - back to your little one, I would think that if he did have a liver shunt problem, that the anesthesia would bring it forward faster than without having undergone anesthesia since medications/drugs pass through the liver. Did your vet run blood work, say 2-3 before weeks of the surgery? (Another aside, always ask for a copy of any bloodwork your vet runs, and keep a file so as to compare one year to the next - and whenever possible, albeit expensive, have them run a "full panel" blood text once a year that checks albumin, etc. related to most organs. It's more expensive than the usual blood-clotting/basic bloodwork they usually run annually, but SO worth it).
If they did check your little guy's bloodwork beforehand, ask your vet tomorrow for a copy of the results. Ask if the bloodwork checked anything related to the liver - such as the albumin levels.
Videotape his episodes - when he acts oddly. In general, make sure he's hydrated (drinking water as usual). Is there any chance he may have gotten into some food or something he shouldn't have? There could be a chance he's having some sort of withdrawal from the anesthesia and other medications. Yorkies are fragile little dogs. Generally, keep him comfortable, watch him (sleep near him - but keep him on the floor if he's pressing his head, etc. - maybe you can sleep on the floor next to him all night), and take him to the vet in the am.
Are you confident that your vet and the techs in the office are good? Is there a veterinary teaching university nearby you could go to for a second opinion? They may make you run more blood tests (they usually like their own labs), but it's worth it. SO worth it to pay for another opinion and more appointments.
My first yorkie would seizure sometimes after taking heartworm medication (HeartGuard - which I am NOT using for my other yorkie - that stuff is toxic). She would head press, etc. It sounds like the little guy has some toxicity issue that he's responding to. Just keep him calm, the house quiet - make sure he's drinking water (use a sterile water dropper to drop water into the sides of his cheeks), and keep him on the floor and watch him all night. My vet said that SmartWater is okay to give them too if you're worried about dehydration - check the gums. And then get him into the vet in the morning. It may be idiopathic, but you want to keep an eye on it. Please keep us posted, okay? If things get bad at night - take him into an emergency veterinary hospital - again, preferably a teaching hospital if there is one fairly close by. |