I just wish that I could keep him and give him the care that he needs. I am just not in the place to do that right now. :( Thank you for you input and I am so happy that your little guy is getting the hang of it.

Liver Shunt is so serious. It'll be hard finding a home for him, It's going to be expensive. I would give him away to someone you trust. They have to go into it knowing they may/or may not live very long. I had one and it's heartbreaking. But there are milder cases also. If he's taken to meds, he'll likely live on them a long time.

As a breeder I can tell you, you definitely do not want to breed the parents again. If it were my litter, I'd have to do Bile Acid Tests on the rest before they leave at 10 to 12 weeks. I wouldn't want a family to love this companion and then be devestated by the diagnosis. I'm sorry, I couldn't help as a breeder to give my 2 cents re:liver shunt.

BTW the pictures are beautiful,

I wonder how much the corrective surgury would run for liver shunt? Did the vet give you a ball park figure? And at what age?

BTW susan123 your pm folder is full.

Well, she said that there are 2 types of liver shunts. One is correctable and one is not. If it is correctable then she was saying something like $1000-$2000. She is not totally positive because only 1 place does it here in Alaska. Veterinary Specialist of Alaska. So I am going to have to calls them on Monday and see what I can do and at what age. We have still not done any blood test to make sure that this is what he needs, but it seems to be working and he is just to small to take any blood from him. I am so sad for him and I hope that I find a good forever home that will take good care of him. It just makes me want to cry thinking about this little guys life.

i also would give him away to someone you really trust and knows the breed and looking for a puppy. and they can use the money they would have spent for him to fix him!

This is exactly along the lines of what I was going to say. I know this entire thing has been so hard on you both emotionally and financially. Unless the vet knows someone that would be willing to take him, love him, and take care of his spcecial (and expensive) needs, I would put him up for adoption with a Yorkie Rescue. People who look for rescues to adopt sometimes are more able to do this. I do believe that with his beautiful pictures on a Yorkie rescue stating his story, a very loving person would adopt this precious boy in a minute. My heart truly goes out to you, please know that. How wonderful that the medication worked for him and that he is doing so well. He sure is a special little boy sure to steal many hearts.:heart to

oops, I cleared some ;)

There's money for ultrasound, surgery. Surgery cost most if it's intrahepatic (inside) as opposed to extrahepatic (outside the liver) then there's meds and all of the vet visit and blood panels. My girl, I had purchased as one of my first pets, didn't live long enough to do that. She just did the medicine and a few vet visits and tests and it was $600. They said it wouldn't be worth surgery, she's was too small at 14, she passed at 16 weeks. There are lots of livershunt resources on the net that would be able to tell more then I could.

Thank you everyone. I am not sure what I am going to do, but I am sure that I will figure it out in time. Thank you for giving me some ideas. It is going to be a very hard decision to make. Until the time comes that time comes, I am going to give him as much love as I possibly can.

Thanks,
Sharon

Sharon,

I know this is rough on you, just know we are here for you if you need anything, seriously. I really hope it's not a severe case for both of your sakes. But like I said we'll be here if you need anything.:big_hug:

Thank you for all your support. This might have turned out terrible with out it.

Any more news from the vet Sharon? What is your little guy weighing in at. Mine is REALLY slow going.

I am going to go and visit them today. She called me and she is having another doctor look at them today and see what his opinions are. She think that there are way to many soft spots on his head and so we are getting another opinion to see where to go from here. She said that we might have to put him down. He keeps going through these weird episodes of breathing. In the medical field we call it fish breathing. Scary!!! When he does this she just drives him around a bit and it seems to calm him down. But she said which ever way that it goes today I am going to get both the puppies back it Tinkerbell will let them both feed. Yoda is sucking out of a bottle so that is wonderful news. I am not sure what he weighs. I know that she is feeding them really well, we have just been focusing on the medical problems. I will get his weight when I am there so I know where my base line is if he gets to come home.

I know that yours is really slow going, but he is starting to look like he is gaining. Keep up the good work. I love the pictures. You need to get one up of the two puppies together, just for comparison.

Sorry to hear about the soft spots and the breathing thing. Darn, this is really rough!
Please let us know what the new vet says.
I'll try to get a decent pic of the two pups together.

Sad Update
 

Yoda was just seen by another vet and it is still not good. They all think that he is not going to live more then 3 months. The space between his skull plates are just too big. Some of the largest they have ever seen on a little one. He also has water on the brain. They are so suprized that he has made it this long. They said that they usually diagnosis liver shunts when they are a few months old and to have this little one reacting to the medication this early is really good for now, but is really bad in the long run. He mostlikely will not live past 3 months even with out the skull plates being the way that they are.

So I was thinking on the way home that I am going to take care of him until I either run out of medication (which gets really expensive) or when he has one of his little breathing out bursts. Which ever comes first. Mostlikely it is going to be the breathing out bursts that he has been having every couple of days. I feel extremely bad about it, but I really have to do what is best for him. Please pray that he is going to have a comfortable and speedy crossing of the rainbow bridge. Until then he is again a permanent attachment to me with his meds being given every 4 hours and feedings ever hour and a half.

I'm so sorry, Sharon. I missed these latest developments. I hope you take some solace in knowing you gave him a fighting chance and are making his days as comfortable as possible.

We're all very proud of you Sharon. You did everything you could. He is blessed to have you.
Remember, I'm here if you need me.

Yoda has had a hard road. You have been really strong. Sorry this hasn't been easy for you. It's bad when a:aimeeyork little one is sick.

Thank you so much. I know that it is so hard to keep up with everything going on, on this site. I know that I have done all that I can at this point I am just going to make his last little bit as great as I can. It is up to him how long he is willing to stay. Thank you again

My heart hurts for you....

I have been following this thread .... hoping.

God placed him with an Angel .. until he will be an Angel.

Oh that made me cry. Thank you. He is at work with me right now with his big sister and he is all cuddled up beside her. I just can't think of putting him down right now. He is just enjoying life too much. He is going to be an angel whenever he chooses to go. Until then we will keep having fun and letting him enjoy life no matter how short it maybe.

Miracles have been known to happen and perhaps he is yours?

Hey Sharon, can you tell us how Yoda and his siblings are doing?

Oh Sharon, may God bless you and little Yoda. I will pray for what you are asking. You really have been so wonderful with your little guy. Your hard work and dedication to him has left him knowing absolutely nothing but love.

Update
 

Good idea. Yoda is doing good today. I have been feeding him every 4 hours with his medicine and every other feeding I have to tube feed him this really disgusting medicine that he absolutely hates. He blows bubbles with it if I don't tube him. He is was a bit slow this morning, but is doing great now. I can't keep him in his little carrier. He wants to climb out and investigate. LOL. I don't know if what the doctor said is right or not. It seems to me that the gap on his head is getting harder. I guess I will just have to wait and see and not get my hopes up. He is up to 6.3 oz!!!!

The rest of the litter is doing good. BamBam has definitely found his voice. He squeaks to eat, he squeaks while he is eating and whenever he just feels like it. He is going to be my trouble maker, I just know it. He is 18 oz.

The girls are staying neck and neck with weight. I had to paint one of their toenails just so that I would not get them confused with one another. They all love their brother and love to cuddle with him. It is just so cute.

The only problem I am finding is that Tinkerbell is not wanting to mother Yoda or BamBam. She even barks at BamBam (I think because he is so much bigger then the others). Yoda she just ignores. She does feed them, but I have to make her sometimes. Has anyone else had a problem with this?

More Pictures are on photobucket too.

It's so nice to hear that Yoda is happy and active. The vet said the open fontanelle would not close?

Of course you know my little guys mom really wants nothing to do with him so I have to force her to lay still to nurse ( which he has decided is just way to much work and would rather have the bottle.):rolleyes:

You sound so much better. I'm glad for you and Yoda and your other little trouble makers! LOL?
:mademyday

LOL. Now I am right where you are. Feedings every 2-4 hours and tubing every 8. LOL. We are going to look like this at work.:shocked7q After all this we are going to need a vacation just to sleep.:snore:

Sorry to hear that he feels that the bottle is better. That is just so hard when they will not feed their babies. I guess we know the demands that they have to put up with now. Just think of our jobs multiplied by the number of puppies. LOL

Well, if we could whip out a teat and liked the taste of pee and poo our lives would be alot easier!!!

AAAAAGGGHHHH!!!! :eek: Did I just say that!!???

Boy, I really do need some rest!

It's been a couple days, is everything still going good?

Update
 

Everything is going great. Tinkerbell is letting Yoda eat and I give him medicine with that and it is working out great. He is gaining weight and playing so well sometimes it is hard to tell that he is sick. I think that when he is a bit older I am going to go get a second opinion from another clinic.

Tinkerbell will allow BamBam eat when all the others eat, but not him just alone. It is so funny. He is walking and following her around everywhere saying, "Mom stop just one more drop, I promise!!!" LOL It is just so cute to watch. I was setting up the play area in the kitchen this morning and had the puppies out so that they would not get squished and they found Tinkerbells food bowl. They were taking the kibbles and throwing them out of the bowl after they were licked to death. LOL. They are going to be a wonderful handful.

So everything is just wonderful. I love it.

That's so cute about Bam Bam, love that name!

So you think Yoda may not be as sick as the vet says? Wouldn't that be a blessing!!!

Keep doing what your doing, cause it sounds like your doing it perfectly!:D