I am in tears after reading this, only this time they are tears of joy. You have gone through so much with Tinkerbell, and I'm sure it strengthened the powerful love and bond that you already had with her. I am sure you are going to hold on tight to your precious baby and enjoy every moment with her.

That's wonderful news. I'm so happy for Tink and you.:)

Thank God! I truly don't even understand all the diagnosis, and I just skipped forward to the part about she will live a long and happy life, and then I started crying tears of joy.

I am so happy for you and Tink! Big hugs going out to you. Sleep well my friends:D:D:D:D

Same here!!

I am just thrilled for you and Tink, Kathy!! :D

:cheer::cheer::cheer::cheer::cheer::cheer::cheer:

:bravo::cheer::yay_jump::mademyday:cheers:Great news!

I am in the same not understanding boat! Prayers have been answered. I am so happy for you!:):):) Go, enjoy yourselves!!

OMG!!!! That is the best news I've heard all day :D I've been reading your posts...usually in tears, because it is like I can see Tinkerbell and would know her on the street (even though I have never met you), and I was sure that the news wouldn't be good. It proves to me once and for all the power of prayer, and a positive attitude! GO TINK GO!

Marg

Just to explain a bit:

Arteriolar Hyperplasia is the "new" name for HMD/MVD.

Bile Stasis is a condition of the Gall Bladder

The E-coli isn't contagious to humans or other animals, and is being treated with 200 mg Amoxicillin twice daily for 3 weeks (instead of continuing with Baytril)

The ammonium urate crystals are normally found in dogs with Liver Shunt, and were removed from her bladder during surgery.

Cirrhosis is basically end-stage liver disease and is not reversible so I am very glad that was not found.

Tink's staples come out Friday. :D

OMG...this is the best news!!! I am so happy for Tink and for you. I cannot begin to image just how relieved you are to hear this. Gotta love the power of prayer!!

Tink wants to show you all her footy Tinkerbell PJs...


Attachment 340416 Attachment 340417

OMG how cute is that!

SUCH wonderful news! Very happy for you and Tink (who looks FABulous in her jammies, by the way!).

One more very very good report - especially the "long happy life" part. Thank goodness for our vets. Tinkerbell, way to go girl in those snazzy looking jamies! Hope you feel much better any minute now.

UPDATE: Days 5,6,7, & 8 at Home!
 

Tuesday, Day 5:
They all got loose again! I grabbed Tink quickly and tied her to the car mirror, Finny came back to me right away so I put her back in the yard... I'm off to find Sapphire... I walk out to the road and look up the side of the SUV parked in the driveway, and there she is... all the way at the other end of the SUV, peeking around the front tire like she's looking for me! Ha! But I was behind her! When she realized it was me, she sheepishly turned and ran to me, like "Oh, Mama, What are you doing here? I thought you was over there!" So darn cute! These pups are going to kill me yet!

Wednesday, Day 6:
I am so impressed. No jealously or battles to get out of the yard! They all are acting like they are impeccably trained, and stay at least 10 feet away as I take Tink for her many daily walks! No jealous barking as we head down the road... Hmmmm, what's up with this?

Tink has had enough of the cone head thing and gets it off her head... but leaves her tummy alone.... so I'll keep an eye or two on her for today...

Thursday, Day 7:
More of the same... Tink's doing fine... so our last walk before bedtime, in the dark, but not too dark bc of the full moon... I see her grab something and start chewing it! Oh no! Tink, Gimme that! So I grab her by the upper jaw and stick my fingers in her mouth, feeling all around and I find nothing! So I look and she's chewing again! Grab her again and get two fingers way back in her throat and I feel something, close my fingers together but it slips away, go for it again but this time I got it and pull it out of her mouth... a chicken bone! Wonderful... supposed to get the staples out tomorrow and instead we almost had to go in for surgery on a preforated intestine! Aaaaaaahhhhhh!

Friday, Day 8:
Appt 8:45 AM for staple removal. DH totally loses his mind and forgets! I call and reschedule for 4:30 PM. Anyway, we get there and take a seat in the waiting area.

Then this lady asks me,"Oh, is that a Silky Yorkie?" I said no, she's all Yorkie. Lady: "But is she a Silky Yorkie?" I said I've never heard of that before and don't know what a Silky Yorkie is. She says it's her coloring, (silver/tan) and that they usually cost more bc they are rare.

O Boy! I have a rare Silky Yorkie! Ha!

Then I go into my 15 minute speel about accepted AKC colors and that whoever is selling Silky Yorkies as rare is ripping people off. Or am I wrong?

Well then it's Tink's turn to go in the back, I am to wait and they will see me to a room where the vet will come in a have a talk with me. The tech makes the mistake of carrying Tink back out to me and she all but squirmed out of the woman's arms. Tink is a 14# Tank and can be very hard to hold on to when she wants to get down. She calmed down when I petted her head and allowed the woman to carry her into the room.

Then the vet comes in and has a seat. Says Tink looks great, just to ease her into her normal activities by the end of next week.

He says to finish the Amoxicillin, call him and she can start on the bile-thinning Ursodiol. She takes that for 6-8 months. Then, at some point, he wants her off the Lactulose (?). She can stay on the Denamarin (Liver support). After 30 days, she goes back to my regular vet for a urinalysis to be sure the E-coli infection is completely gone.

Save me a seat on the not understanding boat!

So, my reg vet says the report stated the surgeon did not see the bigger shunt during the surgery, that my reg vet said he clearly saw on the Ultrasound, the surgeon only saw the smaller acquired shunts, so nothing was done to the shunts. The kidneys appeared to be fine, no stones found there, and the bladder was flushed out. She will keep producing bladder stones, bc no enzymes can be given to prevent them as in Dalmations, bc the shunting is what causes them, not lack of an enzyme.

In my research, (looking crap up online all by myself bc I haven't discussed it with either vet yet, bc I didn't know what to discuss with them), I have found where the gall bladder can get backed up to the point where it blocks the ducts that feed bile to it from the liver. This is what can cause the pressure in the liver to build up, causing the liver to 'throw' new shunts (acquired shunting).

Acquired shunts are usually always smaller and branched (like a tree) than congenital shunts (being born with one) which are bigger and usually singular.

So, if the Ursodiol doesn't work (I read that it doesn't work as well in dogs as it does in people) and thin the bile out and get it flowing, I guess the next step may be to have her Gall Bladder removed. So, let's hope the medicine works.

Thank you all again for bearing with me through all this... I decided to continue posting so it would be like a diary of the whole affair and it would be here if I needed to refer back to anything, and to keep you all informed. And thanks again, too, for all your prayers and positive thoughts and support.
Love and Hugs,
Me & Tink

She looks adorable! I'm so happy to read her updates :)! Hugs to you, Tink, and the whole fam.

Cute pics.:p I love that you are keeping a diary of sorts of this. I really like to see the updates.

How is Tink coming along?

I am seeing your update just now, wonderful news!! Congratulations to Tinkerbell and you! *happy dances*

UPDATE: Tink's 1st Urinalysis after LS Surgery/Recovery
 

Tink continued to do well, each day adding back the old behaviors that were forgotten when she wasn't feeling 100%. Well, now, by my estimates, she's at about 130% recovered! Can't even see her incision, still chases cars, owns and polices all the toys, and is back to being 'Queen' of the house, and we decided to continue with individual walks... she really likes the one-on-one attention.

She finished the Amoxy for the E-coli infection, then started the Ursodiol. She puked a few times, so I played around with the best time to give it to her (ie: before/after/during a meal, 2 hrs after a meal, etc.). she does best with it after a meal, beyond 2 hrs. No more puking.:D

So we wait 30 days, and took her in last week for her U/A. Here we go again: E-coli still present. It is RESISTANT to Amoxicillin! I am confused. Did the BC Surgeon not do a C&S at the time of surgery? So my regular vet wants to put her on Baytril. I have to get him to call the surgeon about the Ursodiol, as the surgeon didn't want her on both at the same time (too much for her tummy?)

Also, my Regular vet was extremely upset when he reviewed the surgery report: about the huge shunt that he saw on the ultrasound not being fixed. At that point he quit talking to me and said that he would get to the bottom of this and find out just what is going on so they can make Tinkerbell all better. He mentioned a possible typo by the stenographer (who types up the surgery notes), but assured me he would ask the questions of the surgeon and find out for sure.

At our appointment, he said they are 'still out' on the final surgical report findings, so nothing has been decided for sure yet.

For me, I don't know what to think, or who to believe, or if I believe anything I've been told to date about Tink's condition. I find this situation with the E-coli a bit baffling... but overall it doesn't surprise me, knowing the mix up mentioned above..

Just kind of sitting here shaking my head...

I am also confused. Who diagnosed the UTI in the first place and prescribed the Amoxycillin?
If her surgery was three months ago how is it 30 days?
Am I lost here?
My vet would be the one doing urine c & s on my pups...not a surgeon. Usually all diagnostics are done by the vets and sent to the surgeons...the surgeons do the surgery and the vets follow up with medical issues. Surely the surgeon sent a report to your vet before now?
Did I miss something in your post? I don't see how the surgeon is at fault here on the UTI and it's treatment. I also am totally confused as I have been for the past two years about Tinkerbell and her LS. Didn't you say that nothing could be done since she now has multiple shunts?? and that the surgeon only did the bladder stones? Yep..totally confused.
If indeed the surgeon (Dr. Rob) has missed something here, I hope that you will be posting the name so that others are aware.
What I will say is that e Coli is a very common cause of UTIs and that often it is not knocked out with the first antibiotic. Surely a C&S now and the right antibiotic will do the trick. Prayers for Tinkerbell.

Wouldn't the C/S be on your itemized bill (receipt)? The receipts here show everything done.

Was a cystotomy done at the same time? I think sometimes urine is taken around the time of surgery and sent for U/A and/or C/S. Did the surgeon suspect a UTI? If no C/S was done and only one antibio has been tried, I wouldn't be surprised that it hasn't cleared (or returned).

What kind of stones were they? Did the surgeon say how likely they are to return? Or was this a kidney infection?

I'm sorry about the mix up with the shunt. Sounds odd. Perhaps the surgeon got in there and decided it was just too risky or whatever, but then what would make him think that? Do you have a copy of the report from the surgeon? Did they do a biopsy while in there?

keeping you & tink in my thoughts and prayers!

Hi!
I just found and read this entire thread today and about half way through I started crying and then I was so happy for you and Tink and all of your other furbabies! I hope she continues to do well and I am SOOO happy she will live a long and happy life with all of you!!
I have an appt with a specialist tomorrow for my little Lucy - she had high liver enzymes and strange Bile acids tests so we are going to a specialist and I am hoping for the best!
Again, I am happy things are going well for you all!

Hugs for Tink!!:):love:

I don't think it is a big deal to have amox. fail. Amox failed Teddy as a pup when he had a UTI that he came home with from his breeder so he then went on clavamox and it cleared. Daisy had a UTI and they started with clavamox and we ended up needed 6 weeks simplicef. Your bill should def. itemize C&S .... we do one each time and it is around $100 so I would think you could just quickly look and see?

It's odd to me that there is no final surgical report. Didn't you say she had multiple acquired shunts due to the high blood pressure in her liver and that the shunts could not be surgically repaired? I think you need a new general vet, is this the same one that didn't send Tink to a specialist four years ago? I don't know, it's not sounding right, I'd switch vets for sure.

The surgeon diagnosed the UTI and put her on Amoxy for 30 days, after the results came back from samples taken during her surgery. She was to take the Amoxi for 30 days, then he wanted a UA done 1 month (with my regular vet) after that to be sure the E-coli had cleared. It took a week-10 days for the results to come back from the samples taken during the surgery. The surgeon sent a report to my regular vet the week after the surgery. The surgeon said to me nothing could be done bc of the multiple shunting, and that he did remove small stones from the bladder. My vet wasn't happy with the results of the surgery as written on the report and inquired about the surgery, as things my vet saw on the U/S did not jive with what was written in the surgery report. When I learn the results of the inquiry, I will post them and any appropriate reviews. Hopefully no one has missed anything, and Tink may have had 2 types of E-coli, I don't know, as 2 C&Ss were done, one at the time of her surgery, and one last week. Or the Lab could have messed up. I did not post about all this at the time bc emotions were running high on this thread and I didn't have the heart to be posting anything 'bad' or 'questionable', as this was enough of a roller-coaster ride as it was.

The surgeon did a Celiotomy with Liver biopsy, cystotomy and calculi removal and found Multiple extrahepatic shunts. He did suspect a UTI, Amonium urates were found, yes likely to recur, kidneys are fine, no stones or infection. I did not get a copy of the report, as I am constantly reminded in this forum that I do not have the appropriate education to be reading and interpreting such things and have decided to leave this up to my vets.

I think it is a big deal when one entrusts the care of their pup to a vet specialist and tells them to do whatever needs to be done to get her healthy and one pays for that care and expertise, and with UAs being such an integral part of dogs with LS, it is important to get it right especially when the pup is also trying to recover from just having had major surgery.

There was a final surgical report, that is what is in question as explained above.

My vets had been discussing Tink's case with the vets at the University of Tennesee since she was diagnosed, and they were involved in making up the Treatment Plan for Tink.

I adopted Tink from the Humane Society 2 years ago. She will be 5 years old in September.

But I thought the surgery was three months ago. That was my confusion. Perhaps I am just not reading well this morning.
Need coffee badly!

Thankyou... I haven't read your thread... I will today...sorry you're going through this too.

Tink had surgery on March 8, 2011. What is your point? Coffee sounds good.:)