4twisty -- can you ask your vet about giving Philo Lactulose? This helps with the toxins. Might want to also ask about anti-seizure medicine for him.
Singingtiger -- wonder why bile acid numbers did not return near normal after shunt surgery? When did you have your dog tested post surgery? My vet said that after shunt surgery, the numbers may not ever return to 'normal' but should go down considerably and be within the safe range. Did they do a liver biopsy? Could there be considerable damage to the liver from the shunt? What are the numbers and when did you have your dog tested last?
My dog is thin (as a result of the shunt) and she, like all dogs need a good protein diet --- I cannot imagine feeding her this low protein food the rest of her life.
Also the bile acid numbers take time to go down and return to normal or close to it, several months. When the shunt is closed, the liver starts to grow and this takes a little time.
Like other owners, my dog showed no clinical symptoms of a shunt but only when I went to get her spayed, the blood test indicated there was a problem and then we had the bile acid test done. The vet said he had never seen in his career numbers as high as hers. Still after 8 months (I had to save for surgery) of being on low protein diet and Lactulose, she showed no signs (other than being thin) of a shunt and was smart as a whip, full of energy, etc.
Unfortunately, I enrolled in insurance 2 weeks too late to have this covered but at least in the future if my baby has an issue, I have insurance to cover it. Never, ever will I buy a dog again without getting pet insurance right out of the gate. Some people say they can't afford the $40 a month pet insurance premium and I say to them "If you can't afford $40 a month, how are you going to afford $4000 to save your dog's life?" |