Say a prayer for my little man - Page 2 - YorkieTalk.com Forums

newyorkiepup · 08-04-2008, 01:22 AM

I just re-read the contract. It says 100% of the purchase price or a new puppy. We paid $800 for Cruiser. I doubt that will cover the surgery but it would help. My husband said earlier that if he needed surgery we couldn't keep him. I don't know if he would change his mind if it came down to it. I know he is upset too. He loves Cruiser. He is a teacher so he's been home with him all summer. He's pretty attached to him. But he's also a practical person. I like to think of my self as practical also but I don't want to make the practical decision about my puppy. I want to make the right decision. I want to do what's right for him. I've been getting up every hour to give him more nutrical. He seems better. He's been alert everytime and taken the nutrical and water from me willingly. Only a few more hours until we go to the vet.

layorkiemom · 08-04-2008, 04:41 AM

No chance that he may have eaten the actual cob of the corn is there? Did you tell the vet he had been nibbling corn? I hope that he does not have LS, it just seems strange that suddenly he got that sick that fast with nothing in between.

Ellie May · 08-04-2008, 04:51 AM

I'm so sorry.

It does sound like it could be LS.

First, why did the vet prescribe A/D if they thought it was a shunt?
That food is horrible on the liver.

What food are you feeding?
When he got into the corn, are you sure he didn't get into meat also?

Surgery is expensive but at University of Tennessee (the best place to have it done) it is somewhere around $1500.

It could also be MVD (no surgery can be done...only management).

Have you looked into Care Credit?
If you really can't afford it and can prove that to a veterinary school (maybe University of Tennessee or Cornell), maybe they will consider doing it at a reduced cost?

newyorkiepup · 08-04-2008, 05:09 AM

he didn't get into meat. I know that for sure. I don't know if he ate any of the cob for sure, but I don't think so.

I asked them to prescribe the a/d because he wouldn't eat anything.

Ellie May · 08-04-2008, 05:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newyorkiepup

he didn't get into meat. I know that for sure. I don't know if he ate any of the cob for sure, but I don't think so.

I asked them to prescribe the a/d because he wouldn't eat anything.

A/D is sometimes given before the second blood draw of the bile acids test.
It is high fat and high protein and should not be given to a liver compromised dog unless it is being used for the test in my opinion.

If the test is being done soon you might get away with feeding it until the results come back but I would be very nervous. Can you ask the vet for L/D canned instead?

Myhre5 · 08-04-2008, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ladymom

Liver shunts are genetic and, unfortunately, two healthy parents can still produce a puppy with a shunt. Since there is not genetic marker for liver shunts, the only way to find out if a puppy is healthy is to have a bile acids test done at eighteen weeks old. Dr. Center recommends all Yorkie puppies have a BAT since Yorkies are thirty-six times more likely to have a shunt than all other breeds combined.

What does your contract say exactly about genetic conditions? Often the health guarantee will include the breeder paying vet bills with a cap of not more than the purchase price or a replacement puppy.

I am so sorry about Cruiser. I can't imagine how worried and heartsick you must be.

I am so sorry about your baby. I am going through the SAME THING. My baby, Oliver, is at Davis Medical Center in Davis CA. He has ulsers, liver shunts and a soft treachea. I have cried for 4 hrs, straight. Wondering how I am going to tell y 13 yr. old daughter. It's not just the money we are out, we love him so much! We feel like the breeder that we bought him from screwed us big time. I am just so angry. My poor baby is suffering and so are we! Any suggestions?
Thanks
Ollie and Coopers mom- Pam

Myhre5 · 08-04-2008, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newyorkiepup

I just re-read the contract. It says 100% of the purchase price or a new puppy. We paid $800 for Cruiser. I doubt that will cover the surgery but it would help. My husband said earlier that if he needed surgery we couldn't keep him. I don't know if he would change his mind if it came down to it. I know he is upset too. He loves Cruiser. He is a teacher so he's been home with him all summer. He's pretty attached to him. But he's also a practical person. I like to think of my self as practical also but I don't want to make the practical decision about my puppy. I want to make the right decision. I want to do what's right for him. I've been getting up every hour to give him more nutrical. He seems better. He's been alert everytime and taken the nutrical and water from me willingly. Only a few more hours until we go to the vet.

Hi

We are going through the same thing. We were quoted 4-7,000! We cant afford that but how can we not? we love our little Oliver so much! The vet said that we need to call the breeder and tell her to NOT breed those poor dogs anymore. Oliver littermates are probably having the same problems. Our Ollie has ulcers, soft trachea AND liver shunts! OMG. Now what? I am so lost. Our Ollie is totally normal UNTIL he has his "coughing" fits and cant breath. We also use the nutrical. He loves it. He is so normal until this coughing thing AND the fact that we took him in for the coughing problem and found out TODAY that he has liver shunts as well. I am so sad.

Good luck with your baby. My fingers are crossed for you!
Pam Ollie and Coopers mom

Wylie's Mom · 08-04-2008, 07:47 PM

I am so sorry for what you're going through with Cruiser - I can tell you love him so much. There are agencies that help with bills that you could apply for - I need to try and find that link. Here is one agency: Wrapped in Kindness

You will find a lot of support here from members who've been through what you're going through - they'll have great advice. Please keep us posted.

Nancy1999 · 08-04-2008, 08:19 PM

I'm so sorry to hear this. Here's one program that you can apply for, it can be used on humans and animals, vets take it and no interest is changed for over a year. CareCredit® Healthcare Finance - Payment Plans and Financing for Cosmetic Surgery, Dental, Vision, Hearing, Veterinary & Other Medical Procedures Here's a thread that lists agencies that help with vet bills, but I hear the waiting list is long. http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gen...vet-bills.html. Good luck, and I'll be praying for you and your little guy.

One more: IMOM.org Helping People Help Pets

Yorkieluv · 08-04-2008, 08:19 PM

I'm so sorry to read about your baby...If the vet truly suspects liver shunt, unfortunately, a/d is one of the worst foods for him. It is approx. 40% protein (if it's the canned) on a dry matter basis and contains the worst types of protein for him: liver and animal proteins.

If your baby does have liver problems, the reason he is such a picky eater is that food (particularly animal proteins) make him feel sick and he associates that sick feeling with the food. Animal proteins cause a build-up of ammonia which enters the bloodstream and causes the neurological symptoms that you are seeing along with lethargy, picky eating, etc.
If you can, ask for the canned L/D instead, not the dry because it contains ethoxyquin which is a carcinogen.
If the shunt is operable and you decide to have the surgery, University of Tennessee is pretty cheap compared to most other places; otherwise, you might try going to another vet school.
Michigan State also does the surgery for pretty good prices and are very experienced as well.
Maybe your baby's condition would be better managed through diet and meds. It's hard to say without knowing if it's extrahepatic, intrahepatic, MVD, or some combo....
Prayers for you and your baby...

newyorkiepup · 08-05-2008, 10:51 AM

Cruiser is feeling better. We took him to the regular vet yesterday. Then did a bile acid test. We'll have the results in a few days. They gave him come more subcutaneous fluids and gave us some medicine to give him (liquid and pills). We are just to get him to eat whatever he'll eat right now. He's got to get some food in him. He was hungry yesterday when we got home and this morning. We fed him some oven roasted turkey from the deli (our neighbor has a 10 year old yorkie and that's what he eats as his main diet all the time!). He gobbled it right down. We've also been continuing to give him some nutrical. He's still not interested in his dog food. He has had a lot more energy. He's alert and walking much better - no more throwing up and no more seizures. He was pretty much back to normal this morning before I left for work. He was biting my toes and attacking the bed skirt. So for now, we're just giving him lots of love and playing with him and letting him eat what he wants. When we have the results of the test, we'll figure out what to do at that point.

zoeybear · 08-05-2008, 11:26 AM

I am glad to hear Cruiser is feeling a little better. Keeping our fingers crossed for a good outcome on his tests!

ARCHIE · 08-05-2008, 11:30 AM

Sending prayer's your way that all works out for Cruiser.
I can't imagine giving up a puppy that I have become attached to.
I hope your husband rethinks his decision and comes around.
Cruiser needs him too.

Finger's crossed that the test's come back not needing surgery.

Wylie's Mom · 08-05-2008, 12:10 PM

Thank you for the update. I'm hoping for the BEST possible test results for little Cruiser.

newyorkiepup · 08-06-2008, 10:32 AM

The vet called and Cruiser does have a liver shunt. He can be on meds and a prescription diet for a while but that won't fix the problem. At most, he would live for a year without the surgery. If he has the surgery, he will probably live a normal life without prescriptions or a special diet. I am calling around to places about the surgery. So far I've only found 2 places that do it: University of Minnesota and another place. University said it would be $2000-$3500. The other place has to call me back yet. We haven't made any decisions yet about what to do.

08-04-2008, 04:41 AM	#17
layorkiemom Donating Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Louisiana Posts: 107	No chance that he may have eaten the actual cob of the corn is there? Did you tell the vet he had been nibbling corn? I hope that he does not have LS, it just seems strange that suddenly he got that sick that fast with nothing in between. __________________ Victoria Baxter Kelly: Last edited by layorkiemom; 08-04-2008 at 04:43 AM.

08-04-2008, 04:51 AM	#18
Ellie May And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI Posts: 17,928	I'm so sorry. It does sound like it could be LS. First, why did the vet prescribe A/D if they thought it was a shunt? That food is horrible on the liver. What food are you feeding? When he got into the corn, are you sure he didn't get into meat also? Surgery is expensive but at University of Tennessee (the best place to have it done) it is somewhere around $1500. It could also be MVD (no surgery can be done...only management). Have you looked into Care Credit? If you really can't afford it and can prove that to a veterinary school (maybe University of Tennessee or Cornell), maybe they will consider doing it at a reduced cost? __________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶

08-04-2008, 07:47 PM	#23
Wylie's Mom Furbutts = LOVE Donating Member Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 35,889 Blog Entries: 2	I am so sorry for what you're going through with Cruiser - I can tell you love him so much. There are agencies that help with bills that you could apply for - I need to try and find that link. Here is one agency: Wrapped in Kindness You will find a lot of support here from members who've been through what you're going through - they'll have great advice. Please keep us posted. __________________ ~ A friend told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn. ~ °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° Ann \| Pfeiffer \| Marcel Verdel Purcell \| Wylie \| Artie °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨°

08-04-2008, 08:19 PM	#24
Nancy1999 I ♥ Joey & Ralphie! Donating Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Arizona Posts: 25,396 Blog Entries: 2	I'm so sorry to hear this. Here's one program that you can apply for, it can be used on humans and animals, vets take it and no interest is changed for over a year. CareCredit® Healthcare Finance - Payment Plans and Financing for Cosmetic Surgery, Dental, Vision, Hearing, Veterinary & Other Medical Procedures Here's a thread that lists agencies that help with vet bills, but I hear the waiting list is long. http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/gen...vet-bills.html. Good luck, and I'll be praying for you and your little guy. One more: IMOM.org Helping People Help Pets __________________ NancyJoey Proud members of the CrAzYcLuB and YAP! ** Just Say No to Puppymills – Join YAP! Yorkshire Terrier Club of America – Breeder Referrals Last edited by Nancy1999; 08-04-2008 at 08:22 PM.

08-04-2008, 08:19 PM	#25
Yorkieluv Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: USA Posts: 7,178	I'm so sorry to read about your baby...If the vet truly suspects liver shunt, unfortunately, a/d is one of the worst foods for him. It is approx. 40% protein (if it's the canned) on a dry matter basis and contains the worst types of protein for him: liver and animal proteins. If your baby does have liver problems, the reason he is such a picky eater is that food (particularly animal proteins) make him feel sick and he associates that sick feeling with the food. Animal proteins cause a build-up of ammonia which enters the bloodstream and causes the neurological symptoms that you are seeing along with lethargy, picky eating, etc. If you can, ask for the canned L/D instead, not the dry because it contains ethoxyquin which is a carcinogen. If the shunt is operable and you decide to have the surgery, University of Tennessee is pretty cheap compared to most other places; otherwise, you might try going to another vet school. Michigan State also does the surgery for pretty good prices and are very experienced as well. Maybe your baby's condition would be better managed through diet and meds. It's hard to say without knowing if it's extrahepatic, intrahepatic, MVD, or some combo.... Prayers for you and your baby... __________________ Miko 's his Mommy

08-04-2008, 01:22 AM	#16
newyorkiepup Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2008 Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA Posts: 77	I just re-read the contract. It says 100% of the purchase price or a new puppy. We paid $800 for Cruiser. I doubt that will cover the surgery but it would help. My husband said earlier that if he needed surgery we couldn't keep him. I don't know if he would change his mind if it came down to it. I know he is upset too. He loves Cruiser. He is a teacher so he's been home with him all summer. He's pretty attached to him. But he's also a practical person. I like to think of my self as practical also but I don't want to make the practical decision about my puppy. I want to make the right decision. I want to do what's right for him. I've been getting up every hour to give him more nutrical. He seems better. He's been alert everytime and taken the nutrical and water from me willingly. Only a few more hours until we go to the vet.

08-04-2008, 05:09 AM	#19
newyorkiepup Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2008 Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA Posts: 77	he didn't get into meat. I know that for sure. I don't know if he ate any of the cob for sure, but I don't think so. I asked them to prescribe the a/d because he wouldn't eat anything.

08-05-2008, 10:51 AM	#26
newyorkiepup Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2008 Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA Posts: 77	Cruiser is feeling better. We took him to the regular vet yesterday. Then did a bile acid test. We'll have the results in a few days. They gave him come more subcutaneous fluids and gave us some medicine to give him (liquid and pills). We are just to get him to eat whatever he'll eat right now. He's got to get some food in him. He was hungry yesterday when we got home and this morning. We fed him some oven roasted turkey from the deli (our neighbor has a 10 year old yorkie and that's what he eats as his main diet all the time!). He gobbled it right down. We've also been continuing to give him some nutrical. He's still not interested in his dog food. He has had a lot more energy. He's alert and walking much better - no more throwing up and no more seizures. He was pretty much back to normal this morning before I left for work. He was biting my toes and attacking the bed skirt. So for now, we're just giving him lots of love and playing with him and letting him eat what he wants. When we have the results of the test, we'll figure out what to do at that point.

08-05-2008, 11:26 AM	#27
zoeybear Misssing Baby Chloe Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: California Posts: 4,186	I am glad to hear Cruiser is feeling a little better. Keeping our fingers crossed for a good outcome on his tests! __________________ We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man has ever made. -M. Acklam

08-05-2008, 11:30 AM	#28
ARCHIE No Longer A Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: NEW YORK Posts: 16,218	Sending prayer's your way that all works out for Cruiser. I can't imagine giving up a puppy that I have become attached to. I hope your husband rethinks his decision and comes around. Cruiser needs him too. Finger's crossed that the test's come back not needing surgery.

08-05-2008, 12:10 PM	#29
Wylie's Mom Furbutts = LOVE Donating Member Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 35,889 Blog Entries: 2	Thank you for the update. I'm hoping for the BEST possible test results for little Cruiser. __________________ ~ A friend told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn. ~ °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° Ann \| Pfeiffer \| Marcel Verdel Purcell \| Wylie \| Artie °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨°

08-06-2008, 10:32 AM	#30
newyorkiepup Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2008 Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA Posts: 77	The vet called and Cruiser does have a liver shunt. He can be on meds and a prescription diet for a while but that won't fix the problem. At most, he would live for a year without the surgery. If he has the surgery, he will probably live a normal life without prescriptions or a special diet. I am calling around to places about the surgery. So far I've only found 2 places that do it: University of Minnesota and another place. University said it would be $2000-$3500. The other place has to call me back yet. We haven't made any decisions yet about what to do.