Oh no. I'm so sorry to hear this.:(

Please go here:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/L...d_MVD_Support/

and join. This is very important. They can answer all of your question.

You really need to find out what her pre and postprandial bile acid numbers are. It could be extrahepatic shunt (outside the liver and usually operable with good recovery rate if done by a good doctor), intrahepatic shunt (inside the liver, not operable and rare for Yorkies), or Microvascular Dysplasia (small shunting, not operable but can live a good life on proper protocol).

If your vet says it is a liver shunt they will send you to an internist. They will want to do tests. They will probably want to do an ultrasound (be careful with this because they are hard to read and it has to be done by an expert so it could be a waste of money...I have heard if the doctor wants to do one make sure it is doppler ultrasound). They will also probably want to do a Scintography or Portogram. If they think it is MVD they will want to do a liver biopsy (Ellie just had one during her spay and did fine but she ended up not having problems...).

Please join the Yahoo Group. They will help you.

I'm soo sorry
 

I am so sorry... first about the human baby... and second about lacey. It must not have been that bad if they just recommended the antibiotics and special food. Your best bet is to write down questions. When you get news like this your head just sort of buzzes and you forget what to ask... and have to keep calling and calling or wondering and wondering! No question is too dumb... read them write off a card and write down the answers... the vet will know you are scared but serious about your dog's health! Good luck... Lacey and you are in our prayers!

yeah we talked about that she said they would do some kind of radiation ultra sound to see what kind it is, she did say i should take lacey to madison to a specialest for the rest of her tests and to talk to the dr there. i will call her usual vet tomorow and get the numbers and let you know. and i will join that yahoo group thankyou:)

If your near the madison vet school i highly recommend you go there. I was going to apply to vet school there. My uncle used to teach history at the university and said their vet program is excellent!

good luck!!!

yep thats where she told us to go and we are only 45 min away from there so great that you know its a good place to take her:) i just got out of debt from lola my other dog who had cancer now this grrrrr.

Is she spayed yet?f not they can do the liver biopsy at the same time and it is less costly.

sure hope she is feeling better and that the tests show how she can be best helped ...
All our love to you ...

oh my, we hope all is going to be fine ...
our love for our babies surpasses everything else ...

good luck ...

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your baby.

Lots of hugs coming your way.

nope she isnt thats what i was thinking spay, liver check and teeth cleaning.
when we get her bk to normal first though, plus she isnt all the way out of heat yet, the vet said she had a false pregnancy. she looks so skinny to me is that because she was in heat or because of this? it just seems like in the last month she has gotten skinnier. i know she had to be about 4 1/2 lbs because she was bigger then her sister and when we were at the dr they said 3lbs 9ozs. i feel like the worst mom here i have been thinking oh its just because she is in heat when it was prob liver shunt this whole month.:(.....

thank you everyone for your nice words and for keeping us in your prayers :)

Have you joined the liver shunt and mvd group yet? What were your baby's bile acid test results. That's good that they have her on "stool softeners"...I'm assuming lactulose which is very important for dogs who have liver shunt/mvd. Which food did they put her on? Hill's L/D or Royal Canin Hepatic LS 14 are the foods of choice for liver compromised dogs.

yes i have they have been calling me to calm me down and work with us to figure out whats best for lacey they are great people :) lacey still isnt stable enough to go in for further tests yet, i am hoping by next week to be able to make the app. in madison for her to see the surgon for more tests to see if they can even do anything. she still isnt pooping like they want her to and is still having seizures:( but she did get up to play for almost an hour last night and is eating the special food and loves it. she is on metronidazole and lactulose and distilled water right now.

I am so sorry about Lacey. Poor you and poor baby. I posted some info I think could help you in your other thread, but I am pasting a quote here again about a supplement given to another baby who has Liver Shunt; it seems to have produced remarkable results:

" Vivi is better thanks to this Liver/Kidney supplement Hi Everyone, It has been a really long time since i have posted. For those of you that don't know my story.....I have a 3 and a half year old yorkie named Lavinia "Vivi" who was diagnosed before her second birthday with an inoperable liver shunt which resulted in large inoperable kidney stones. My vet sent her medical files to UT to get the opinion of Dr. TObias...she was surprised that Vivi had survived her puppyhood based on the clinical reports. I have struggled to find a balanced diet that allows her to get the necessary protein without overwhelming her very under developed liver. Last Spring she almost died as a result of the kidney stones and we were given very little hope for her future. Vivi, however, was not ready to give up and neither was I. Her diet consists of organic baby food and added carrots, apples, and bananas. She loves the added texture. She gets 3cc's of lactulose 3 times a day. Last summer I was walking in the East Village in NYC and I came across a holistic pet store and went in to see if they had anything for liver ailments.
I found a bottle of their private label herbal supplement for liver and kidneys and decided to try it. Vivi has never liked any other supplement and i have tried several so i didn't give this one much hope. I mixed it in her food and she ate it....in fact she gobbled it down. THat was four months ago and during that time I have seen a remarkable difference in my dog.....she has more energy than she has ever had....her eyes are bright, she is very alert....I thought I was imagining this...could my dog actually be getting better? Yesterday, I took her to my vet and he also noticed a big difference and decided to run extensive blood tests....I just got the results....her numbers are the best they have been in her entire life. She is not cured by any stretch but she has improved which means that clinically her tiny liver is working better. He and I both are astounded. I bought this stuff from Whiskers Holistic Products 235 E. 9th street, NYC,NY 10003. 1-212-979-2532. or 1-800-WHISKERS. It is called WHiskers Own Liver/Kidney Aide.It is not available online so i just reordered it over the phone. I do not work for this company or know anyone that does....nor am I being compensated in any way. I apologize for sounding like an infomercial but I have been trying to help Vivi for a long time and this is the first time the vet has ever called me with good news. My dog's condition is inoperable so this is the only thing I can do....try to keep her underdeveloped liver working to it's best ability. And finally something helped her. The product contains dandelion root, milk thistle, corn silk,marshmallow root, and cleaver's herb . It is organic. I hope that this helps other dogs suffering from liver disease.:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: "

Hope that helps; I will keep you in my prayers,
Lauren

oops i just posted in general an update on lacey instead of here. she is not doing well at all yesterday and today sleeping all day eating and taking meds well but not really drinking that much, he gums are white and tacky, and this morning her back legs gave out on her for a bit also her back is arched like she is in pain. he said the legs could eather be nurological or from her comming out of a seizure, he just want me to continue to do what we are doing and he is going read and call madison to see what else can be done for her. i feel like she is fading away and i cant even help her.

Oh, I am so sorry she is not doing well today. I know how you must be feeling. I have been back and forth to the vet this past week with my Coffee and I'm a wreck and it's not nearly as serious as your Lacey.

Hang in there, we are all saying prayers for you and your little girl.
give her a peck on her little nose for me and huge hugs to you.

Is she on lactulose 3x per day to the point where her stools are soft but formed? Is she on Hill's L/D or Royal Canin Hepatic? It's best to try to feed her small meals as often as possible. Is she refusing food altogether? It may be helpful for you to hold an ice pack on her back when she is seizuring. Studies have shown that this may help to lessen the duration...Is she drinking? If not, you need to syringe water into her mouth to keep her hydrated. She may need fluids immediately, so she probably needs to go to the vet...

I am so sorry to hear about this. Bruce and I will keep you and Laci in our prayers!

yes lactulose every 8 hours, LD at 6,10,2,6 and 10 small amounts and metronidazole 1 time a day. her poop is what they want she is eating but not drinking as much as she should. also on nutrical and going to get pedealite tonight. and i have been doing the ice pk thing it seems to kind of help i think. other then that the vet want nothing to change til monday but to me i think she is getting worse.

whats wrong with coffee? and thankyou everyone for keeping lacey in your thoughts

I am so sorry to hear about your little one. How heartbreaking. Just hang in there. You are doing everything you can.

Sending tons of hugs and kisses to you and your little one.

XOXOXOXOX

Lacey is having a good morning today:) she walked around for a bit and did not have a seizure so far. her gums look a bit pale but pale is better then white, we'll take what ever improvment we can get. thank you everyone for keeping her in your prayers:aimeeyork

He was misdiagnosed, first with Legg Perthes, then arthritis, then Hip Displasia,
now at last we know its soft tissue damage on his left side of the back. On medication now, going on to Hills j/d next week, possibly cortisone and may need physio. For now we are doing swimming therapy. Things are looking up at last! Pays to get second opinion!!

Thinking of you and your baby.

Just thought that I would check in and see how the little one is doing. Praying that everything is getting better.

awww poor little guy glad to hear he is doing better sorry i didnt see that he was sick. water theropy is great! one of my dogs lacey tore a liggament in her knee and after surg we did that with her, she recovered faster. praying he continues to get better :)

update on lacey, thurs. and fri. she had pretty good days and even played with me for a while. i was so happy i cried lol. the rest of the week has been bad, today or tomorow we go see the vet again so i will let you know what he says. oh and get this! my neighbor just got a dog and brought it over before taking it to the vet and it has some highly contagus disease, my other friend that works at the vets office called me to tell me to keep that dog and her family away from my house but she couldnt tell me what the dog has, she was at work and could get fired for even telling me what she did. i am pi****. i would never bring an animal that hasnt been seen by a vet into my home or any other home without knowing it was healthy. so now i have to call neighbor and try to find out whats wrong with her dog without her knowing i know anything so i can at least talk to my vet about it.

I am happy that she was feeling good for a couple days and so sorry that she is feeling bad now. I can't believe that your neihbors did that to your sick baby. They should have known better. Well I hope that you are able to find out what there baby had and hopefully yours did not catch it.

Keep your chin up.

Happy to hear she is doing better, Shame on your neighbors. prayers to you & lacy.

I'm glad to hear that everything's okay

i found out today that her dog has parvo fleas and worms, needless to say i freaked and called the vet he said since all my dogs are up to date on shots and she didnt put her puppy down or pet mine ect that it should be ok. lacey goes into see him tomorow again.