Quote:
Originally Posted by sophiesmominva 
For the poster who said after the surgery, dog would be on low protein diet for life -- this is NOT so. Dogs cannot stay on low protein diets for long. When the liver shunt is closed and bile acid numbers are "normal", you absolutely must start giving your dog protein. Also, a CT is necessary, not an ultrascan to confirm the shunt.
I have done a lot of research on liver shunts and if anyone has any questions, I would be happy to answer.
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Sorry, but this statement is not accurate. Sometimes the shunts do not close fully, sometimes secondary shunting can occur, and sometimes, the numbers just never get back to the levels needed to introduce full protein foods and the dog must stay on L/D or H/D food for the rest of their life. They mitigate the symptoms with various drugs to help them keep the ammonia down in their blood. This comes to me directly from the Dr. at the University of Florida that is known as a "Shunt Guru" and who teaches all of the vets in the Florida curriculum how to do shunt surgeries on this breed. Not trying to be argumentative, but I want to be sure that the info on this subject on this forum stays accurate.