sasha has been doing excellent. Not a day passes when she doesn't have energy!!! she has been doing great since Ive started giving her L/D hills diet. What does this mean if she is doing great and doesnt need lactulose anymore???? could her liver problem not be too severe?

I had noticed that whenever Sasha would become lethargic or out of it, her belly was bloated. is that a symptom of liver shunt??

yes as her body cannot process food like a normal dog as the food is bypassing the liver

My 2 year old Emma had a liver shunt . the only symptoms she had was vomiting bile and diahrea. We have since determined that the diarhea may not have been related to the shunt. After many tests----go for the scintigraphy and skip the ultrasound which is expensive and rarely can find the shunt. Emma had the ultrasound and doctors were convinced that she did not have a shunt! BUT SHE DID! After the scintigraphy test the shunt was found. Long story short-----after many monthss of repeated BILE ACID TESTS tests and medication, Emma was operated on at the Fosster Hospital for Small Animals at TUfts University in MA. Again. she was operated on before worst symtoms began. She was operated on by Dr. John Berg and has been doing well.

She had one setback when I took her off her medication. She had such a bout of bloody diahrea that I rushed her back to the hospital. I thought I was going to lose her. What a scare! The hospital was able to stabalize her and her she was put back on her a low dose of metronidozole. She may be on it forever. She is also still on the IAMS low Residue diet which we will be changing shortly. There is not enough fiber in it and her stools are hard.

However, please note that since the surgery, Emma has grown and her hair looks so much nicer. She just looks so much healthier. :) I hope this helps. She was operated on in June 2009 , had the setback in late July , and in November had another Bile Acid test done. It was in the 90's ---still high. Before surgery, it had been in the 500's. There is now some speculation by the internist that she may have internal shunts wh can't be operated on. One day at a time.

Since the lastest BAT was done in November right before the holidays and since Emma is doing wonderfully well, changing diet, etc. has been delayed. I wanted no issues during the holidays as sometimes healthcare professionals ( for people as well as for animals) are not available. I have never been crazy about the ingrediants in the IAMS and hope I can find a suitable food. I am considering feeding her Innova low fat as that is what I am feeding her "sister"---age 5---not from the same litter or parents.

For those out there who have had a liver shunted dog operated on successfully, I would appreciate your food/ diet suggestions. I know that our babies can't have food which has too much protein---yet they need it! I have searching about the type of protein and I read it should not come from an animal source. I also need a food with good fiber. Any ideas? What exactly are you feeding your puppies? At times I believe that the Universities promote foods which from companies which sponser programs or donate to the schools.

I hope my experience with LS surgery helps. It is expensive. Surgery alone at Tufts alone after all the diagnostics ( BAT, ultrasound, scintigraphy, etc. ) was about $2000. The emergency visit in July ( admitted for 3 days) was also costly. But to see Emma well and thriving was worth the expense. One day at a time.

On another happpy note, a pet psychic who knew nothing about Emma, told me that she had been sick. I explained that yes Emma was sick and had had the LS surgery in June and that she would be having her blood work tested in November. The psychic said that her tests in November were not going to be what I was hoping for but I was not to worry. Well, as happened, the BAT result was not the number I was hoping to see but I have decided not to worry. She also told me that Emma loved me very much and was so very grateful for taking care of her because she knew she was sick.

DAB

Poor little angel hope she get the surgery asap:aimeeyork