Epilepsy, Shunt, Hyploglycemic...
 

Jaxon, a three pound, seven month old teacup yorkie, has had a few seizures over the past month. At first, I thought it was his temperment, however, after looking into it further I am worried that he may have epilepsy, or a portosystemic shunt, or possible hypoglycemia. His seizures seem to be grand mal, afterwards he is very lethargic, as if he has been drugged. I believe that he may also have had, or continue to have Psychomotor seizures, he will run around in circles, really hyper and upbeat, almost as if he is chasing an invisible squirrel or something of that nature. He then becomes lethargic after many minutes of this running. He is having bloodwork done, and am expecting the results back next week. I was wondering what the best and worst case scenerios would be. I know that with the shunt he can have surgery, but if its not a shunt, what else might it be. I don't think it is hypoglycemia, as he has had a seizure shortly after eating. I am waiting for the bloodwork to come back, but am worried in the meantime... Anyone been in a similar situation? Also, if it is not a shunt, or hypoglycemia, could it be his diet? He eats organic store bought dog food, however it is premium and not mass produced as some other brands. I've been reading for days and days, and everything seems to be saying the same thing, wait and see, test and see, eliminate possibilities and see. The results can't come soon enough...

did you have pre and post bile acids done? sounds like a shunt as puppy is young and after eating. What is protein amount on dog food? Tough as puppies have to have higher protein but if liver baby needs to be low protein. Once you have bile acids back that will give you a better idea --if post is over 100 then could be a shunt - i am leaning more towards shunt or mvd than epilepsy :( when will blood work be back --- Shunts are fixable but the best person is dr tobias at ut and i would only have her do this surgery if it is a shunt. Liver_Shunt_And_MVD_Support@yahoogroups.com is a group you want to join if it is liver shunt to learn everything you can before further testing. My dee dee is mild mvd and i learned alot about this while trying to figure out what to do with her but she has never showed symptoms of liver disease - just showed up on her blood work. Make sure no rosemary in dog food as that can trigger seizures in dogs as well - hang in there

Having a bile acid test and full blood panel is the best way to help rule out liver problems. Seizures are usually *caused* by something, not usually idiopathic at this age, so there's probably an underlying issue here.
Hypoglycemia ties in with liver problems. Most liver compromised dogs have hypoglycemic issues. The liver is a powerhouse, so it has a lot of functions including maintaining blood glucose levels...
Do you feed several small meals per day?

It is unlikely that he is epileptic at his age. Seizures in puppies are usually a symptom of something else. In Yorkies, the first concern is a liver shunt. He needs to get a bile acids test asap.

Here is some information for you:

Portosystemic Shunts FAQ

Hepatic Vascular Disorders - WSAVA 2006 Congress

the blood tests came back, and the vet said that they didnt indicate any problems with the liver, however, she did not test his bile levels. She wants to wait and see if he has another one before running anymore tests, as he has not had a seizure in over a week now. she did mention that it might be a problem with his brain? if he possible had trauma before my friend baught him. we are hoping that this is not the case. he seems to be doing a lot better, he gets fed every five hours, can dog food with some yogurt. he used to have dry dog food added to this as well as a pinch of metamucil to help with the diariahh that he had had in the past. however, he only gets dry dog food in it occasionally (no more than twice a day), and no metamucil. could these have been the problems? also, i would give him football shaped dog treats, but realized they contained bha, so those were thrown away promptly. is it likely that is what caused his seizures?? thanks for all the help and information.

This is an excellent website to visit and learn all about canine epilepsy and seizures. Food ingredients, household chemicals and other things can trigger seizures. I did learn there that the ingredient Rosemary can trigger seizures and most people don't realize that...it's in a lot of foods too.

Canine epilepsy and diseases that cause seizures in dogs

I hope Jaxon is feeling better and won't have anymore seizures.

I'd have the bile acid tests run.

As for your pup. Was a contract signed that contained a health guarantee? So sad......

I would have to strongly disagree with the vet on this.
Any Yorkie who has had seizures needs to be bile acids tested.
Liver enzymes in a blood panel don't have to go up until the liver is considerably damaged (liver cell death...).

It is not normal for a dog to seize and if it is liver shunt, it is best to catch it before it early... I would most definately have the bile acids tested.

In fact, it is a good idea for every Yorkie over 20 weeks old to have a bile acids test anyway just to make sure there is nothing wrong because LS is so common in the breed. This is according to Dr. Center, developer of the bile acids test.

I'm sorry about your pup.:(
By the way, my Yorkie didn't show many symptoms of an issue and her bile acids are very high (with no diagnosis).

Another clue to a "possible" liver issue is, he is quite small.
Is he a picky eater?

:goodpost:

I couldn't agree more. All Yorkie puppies should have a bile acids test after five months old regardless of whether or not they are having any symptoms according to Dr. Center. The incidence of liver shunts in Yorkies is just too high.

Unfortunately, most regular vets don't know much about diagnosing and treating liver disease. They just don't see enough cases. There has been a lot of research done in the past few years and the protocol has changed dramatically. Are you anywhere near a vet school?

There is simply no reason not to do a BAT test. It's just a simple blood draw and the test in very inexpensive, under $100.

Yes, I agree with everyone above. He needs to have his Bile Acids Tested. The amount of pups with Liver Disease (LS and MVD) is so unbelievable these days, that I am kinda shocked that this Vet is not pressing about it.

Please do not wait for another seizure. Honestly, if this were my pup I would be finding a Vet in the area that has a better handle on the small breeds and one who know more about Liver Shunts.

What food are you feeding him? What treats? Does he have any odd behaviors?

... :eek: :eek: :eek: I just went back and read your first post, IMO this has to do with his liver and I would be getting him into a Vet for a BAT ASAP :(

Hi my name is LoraJ my 6 month yorkie is now awaiting a liver biospy they feel it is MVD is it a form of liver shunt, but with many vessels as opposed to the main aartery in the liver.Mine does the same running, has loose stool, I was told the bile liver count was high, she cant have any protein in her diet except for her kibble, this is a hereditary disease. I am now haveing many problems with the breeder I have her just 4 months she just turned 6 months. The vets tell me its good I caught it early. She went from giardia straight to this. Any one have similar?

I also agree that you should have the bile acid tests done. Some of the symptoms your baby is having sound just like what my baby was experiencing. Her bile acid level was 325. You should definately not wait. we took our baby to UT for her shunt surgery. wonderful, caring staff unfortunately our baby could not come out of the anesthesia and we lost her over a month ago. Don't wait better to have shunt ruled out

Why has the vet decided to do a biopsy?
It is good to do if she is being spayed at the same time but if she isn't being opened up anyway, I wouldn't jump to this to quickly.
Was a Protein C test done?

Hi, my dog Beckham is also exhibiting some of the same symptoms but does not have seizures yet. I am praying that he doesn't have a liver shunt, but I think that I
May be fooling myself. My puppy also hasn't gained that much weight. My puppy three up on Sunday 5x, had diarrhea on Monday and has not been eating well since Sunday or very much at all. His bile acids are high after the bile challenge test. I tried to milk some info from my vet about the costs to ensue. I was told that the imaging with contrast dye is $400.00 and if the shunt is operable, then it would cost $3000-5000.00. We can not afford this!! Has anyone gone through this and had a dog that survived and now is thriving?!