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Old 03-23-2008, 05:24 AM   #1
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Default Liver Shunts

We adopted Lola from an online ad last february to join our family. The women who had her was moving to a new apartment in Manhattan that did not allow pets - at the time Lola was 6 mos old. We have a huge house and yard on Long Island - two teens -and another yorkie named Ted. Lola "had us at hello". She fit right in from day one, Ted accepted her, the kids loved her and everything was great.

As time went by we noticed Lola not being able to hold her urine for extended periods, constant crying when she was in her crate, and just looking like she was dazed. After quite a few vet visits, with no real diagnosis we switched vets. To make a long story short Lola was finally diagnosed correctly with a Liver Shunt - a congenital condition from birth in Yorkies where a hole in the liver allows her blood to bypass her liver and go back into her body. Lola's body was slowly poisoning itself. We were devestated.

We were referred to another vet specialist who after some testing decided the only way to save Lola was with surgery. In mid February Lola was operated on and a "lap-band" or "c-clip" was placed around her liver to allow the hole to close and heal naturally, and slowly allow her liver to start functioning again. Lola survived this complicated surgery and is doing wonderful today. I am astounded at how tough these little dogs are - she had 17 staples down her tiny belly. As soon as we brought her home after 5 days in the clinic she was looking to play with Ted. Obviously we kept them apart for a few weeks until she healed. We had some bile/blood tests done yesterday and are hoping they come back favorable. We can see just from her actions and interactions with Teddy and the family she is a different dog - she just looks healthy and vibrant.

I have to admit this specialized surgery was very expensive - the new car and family vacation this summer will be put off and we all could care less. Lola being home and with us healthy and happy is the best Easter gift we could have. I have educated myself in Liver Shunts quickly - Research is being done to see if there is a gene that causes this condition and wonderful research is being done at the University of Tennessee - it seems overbreeding may play a huge part in this also.

In closing i would like all yorkie owners to be aware of Liver Shunts and how they affect this wonderful and proud breed of dogs we all love so much - a simple blood/bile test does exist to indicate if a yorkie might have this condition. Lola's story has a happy ending (so far) and she is our miracle dog.
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Old 03-23-2008, 06:22 AM   #2
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Liver Shunts are not only hereditary and passed down from birth. They can also be acquired later on in life.

A liver shunt is a blood vessel that carries blood around the liver instead of carrying blood through the liver. A liver shunt problem is mostly congenital. A dog may also acquire multiple small shunts from a severe liver disease, such as cirrhosis. There are basically two kinds of liver shunt conditions that are possible – congenital liver shunt and acquired liver shunt.
http://www.natural-pet-care.com/natu...hunt-for-dogs/


Glad to hear your Yorkie is doing better.
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Old 03-23-2008, 10:12 AM   #3
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I'm so glad for you that Lola's surgery corrected her problem.....She probably feels so wonderful now!!.....


Sad to say,liver shunt is a topic that is talked about quite often in the "Sick & Injured" section here, it seems that it's a condition that many members have had to contend with . Some have had wonderful outcomes like your and some not.

I hope Lola is running like the wind now!
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Old 03-23-2008, 10:21 AM   #4
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Welcome to YT!

I am glad to hear Lola is doing so well & is now healthy!
There are several members here that have had to deal with that same health problem.
Post pictures of your two soon!

Happy Easter
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Old 03-23-2008, 10:35 AM   #5
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Thank you for taking the time to educate us all on this! I am so happy that Lola is doing so well and even happier that she is a part of your family! Pep C and I send hugs and best wishes!
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Old 03-23-2008, 02:28 PM   #6
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You are absolutely right about how common liver shunts are in Yorkies. The study done at the University of Tennessee by Dr. Tobias found Yorkies to be thirty-six times more likely to have a liver shunt than all other breeds combined.

You are absolutely right. Their popularity has lead to careless breeding with no health testing.

I'm so glad Lola's story had a a happy ending!
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Old 03-23-2008, 02:35 PM   #7
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From one Long Islander to another, welcome to YT!
Glad to hear that Lola is doing well today! Post some pictures of her and Ted!
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Old 03-23-2008, 02:36 PM   #8
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So glad Lola is doing well. Welcome to YT!!!
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Old 03-23-2008, 02:46 PM   #9
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Welcome to YT! I am so glad Lola is doing well today, but I am so sorry she (and you) had to go through that ordeal. Liver Shunt is unfortunately too common in this breed. Breeders have got to research their pedigrees and screen their dogs before breeding..it's the only hope we have right now. I pray that a genetic marker is found soon so there is a better way to screen before breeding.

Did you inform Lola's breeder of her shunt? I hope they stopped the lines that produced it.

Even the most ethical breeders can have a problem creep up...health screening can prevent a lot but at this point can't prevent it all. It's what a breeder does after they find out their is a problem that shows whether or not they are ethical. I'm a huge advocate of health screening dogs for everything you can before breeding..it's so important to do all you can to prevent health problems.
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Old 03-23-2008, 03:48 PM   #10
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Welcome to Yt...and so glad everything worked out in the end....i know having to go thru something like that had to be rough...but i can see it clouds are slowly disappearing...please post pictures of your babies..we love pictures here on YT...heh
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Old 03-23-2008, 05:43 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MyFairLacy View Post
I pray that a genetic marker is found soon so there is a better way to screen before breeding.
News flash! I just found out on another forum that Dr. Center's AKC grant was approved!

The grant hasn't been funded yet. The AKC Canine Health Foundation is going through the process of funding the grant which will include contacting various parent breed clubs to contribute in part to the funding.

For those of you who don't know, Dr. Center is trying to find a genetic marker for liver shunts.
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Old 03-23-2008, 05:45 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ladymom View Post
News flash! I just found out on another forum that Dr. Center's AKC grant was approved!

The grant hasn't been funded yet. The AKC Canine Health Foundation is going through the process of funding the grant which will include contacting various parent breed clubs to contribute in part to the funding.

For those of you who don't know, Dr. Center is trying to find a genetic marker for liver shunts.
That's awesome!
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Old 03-23-2008, 05:53 PM   #13
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I'm so glad Lola is doing so well.

A couple of years ago, my kids and I got a baby Basset for my husband for Father's Day. Lilly was so precious, she won the hearts of all she came in contact with.

Long story short, she had kidney disease - we had one removed when she was 3 months that was diseased and the size of a baby kitten.

She got better - a few weeks later she began acting sickly again. This time it was diagnosed as hep shunt and she was too sickly to pull through another surgery. We lost Lilly.

The vet later told us she had lots of birth defects, not just the hep shunt or kidney and that he was certain that she lived as long as she did because she was so loved.

While we are almost 2 years after the fact, even my parents bring up how much they love and miss Lilly still.

You are SO lucky to have Lola and Lola to have you.
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Old 03-24-2008, 12:07 AM   #14
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Hi and to YT! I am sorry to hear what Lola and you went through but glad to hear she pulled it through and a happy doggie now
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