Possible Shunt/Liver Disease

[aproctor]

Originally Posted by Maximo

If they come out normal color, that is good, I believe. How much later did you find it grayish, white? I know raw food diet feeders are always talking about the stool turning to "ash."

Still, be sure to follow up with the vet. As Linda wrote, something is going on that produced the initial test results.

Oh I will still follow up for sure I don't want there to be some problem that gets worse with neglect - no I want my Lucy to be healthy!
The Vet did say that the symptoms she had that prompted me to take her in may or may not be related but that we may have just found the liver issue by chance. I am hoping it is something we can control with her diet but i will do whatever needs to be done to keep her healthy and happy!

Oh and it's a couple hours later that I found it being a grayish, white color...

[Maximo]

You are a great mom to Lucy. I pray it is something that can be controlled with diet.

Typically the stool "turning to ash" is related to higher protein diets, which wouldn't be the case with Nutro or Fromm, but who knows. I have never seen my boys' poop after it has been in the sun for a couple of hours. It goes in a plastic bag, so I wouldn't know. Maybe a test is in order.

[aproctor]

Originally Posted by Maximo

You are a great mom to Lucy. I pray it is something that can be controlled with diet.

Typically the stool "turning to ash" is related to higher protein diets, which wouldn't be the case with Nutro or Fromm, but who knows. I have never seen my boys' poop after it has been in the sun for a couple of hours. It goes in a plastic bag, so I wouldn't know. Maybe a test is in order.

Thank you!! You are a great mom too!

[aproctor]

Hi everyone!

The Vet called me first thing this morning and told me basically she is as confused as we are with what is going on with Lucy.

The bile acids came back with this: Fasting: 103 and After food: 35.3

I told the Vet that Lucy is no longer throwing up and that she has a lot of energy and everything seems normal just like her old self and she said that she is a bit confused and was thinking we would get a different outcome. She said that it could be possible that she got into something unknown to us that could have raised her levels and made her sick. She also said that Shunts usually are found earlier in Yorkies usually by 6 mos. old. I asked her about MVD but she said without knowing for sure that she doesn't have a shunt she can't diagnose MVD.
The next step would be to go to a specialist for the ultrasound, etc. she would prefer we go to the University of MN but she could find one is St. Cloud if we don't want to go all the way into the Cities.
She suggested that because she has NO symptoms at this time and because she seems to be so much better that we wait and monitor her for the next couple of weeks and if she becomes symptomatic bring her in and if she doesn't we will wait 4 weeks and do the blood tests to check her levels again.

Since she is so much better and has no symptoms I think I am going to monitor her and just repeat the tests again in a few weeks (unless of course she has issues again) and go from there. I will take her for further testing at that time if her levels are still high. I think this is the best thing to do right now. I do trust this Vet and I think if she was really concerned that she would say Lucy needs the tests right away.

Maybe since I changed her food to Fromm and I am keeping a closer eye on other people trying to feed her table food namely my mother who I have had a very strict conversation with and she now understands that she can not give Lucy table food as she was sneaking her some before (because Lucy is so cute and looks at her like she is soo hungry when she is there!

What do you all think?

[ArmaniMan]

Personally if it were my dog I would get them into a specialist- she does still have symptoms if you are seeing gray poop- I would want to get to the bottom of this sooner rather then later, so a treatment plan could be most effective. Her liver levels were severely elevated, her bile acids were elevated, she had symptoms- something is not right.

[aproctor]

Originally Posted by ArmaniMan

Personally if it were my dog I would get them into a specialist- she does still have symptoms if you are seeing gray poop- I would want to get to the bottom of this sooner rather then later, so a treatment plan could be most effective. Her liver levels were severely elevated, her bile acids were elevated, she had symptoms- something is not right.

Her poop is brown when it comes out and doesn't turn gray until later, I asked the Vet and she said it is a problem if it is gray when it comes out of her and that is not the case.
As of the past 5 days she has had no symptoms...

[107barney]

I concur with Armani Man. The BAT results do not sound right - I would do a consult and with an internal Medicine specialist and I'd go to the major city. I would not change the diet because you may see changes and then not treat her correctly for any underlying liver issue.

[aproctor]

I found another Vet here in Alexandria and I am going to talk to them and maybe get a second opinion, this clinic seems to have more services than the one I took her to.
I am waiting for them to call me back now.

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by aproctor

I found another Vet here in Alexandria and I am going to talk to them and maybe get a second opinion, this clinic seems to have more services than the one I took her to.
I am waiting for them to call me back now.

Excellent plan. It's wonderful that Lucy is doing so well right now, but the test results are very concerning. Best to figure out what is going on right now.

[ladyjane]

I would either be at a Board Certified internest or the University as your vet suggested. Going to another general practice vet is just repeating what you have already done.

Sometimes there are no symptoms...blood work does not lie as a rule. If you wait for symptoms she could be that much sicker.

[aproctor]

I have come to the conclusion after talking to the other Vet that we do need to take her to a specialty clinic to get the ultrasound. I am working with them to find out which place to take her to so we can make an appointment.

I will do anything to help Lucy live a long and happy life but right now it's hard because we moved a few months ago to be closer to my parents who need a little help and I don't have a job yet. My husband was laid off a month or so after we moved so expenses right now are limited, we have already paid over $300 and now the ultrasound is going to be around $500 and I am not sure how we will pay for this. I am hoping they have some type of payment plan that we can do.
I wish I would have gotten pet insurance right after I got Lucy but it's too late now I think.

We will do what we need to do to get Lucy better. It would kill me if I waited and found out something got worse because of that.

[ArmaniMan]

Consider applying for care credit, most vet offices accept it, many do not take payment plans.

[ladyjane]

Yep...go to www.carecredit.com

and only use a place that will accept it! Some do it with no interest charges for a certain period of time.

You can apply and find out immediately.

[Maximo]

Here is some info about paying for medical bills: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sic...vet-bills.html

Many people here have had great experience with Care Credit.

Definitely go to the board certified internist or the university as LJ recommended. They are better equipped to figure this out and to do it efficiently. It is a lot of money, but in the long run it will cost less than trying to work with a regular vet -- and the outcome will likely be much better.

Keeping Lucy and you in my prayers.

[ladyjane]

Texas A & M has payment plans for animals that require hospitalization; but not for testing. You might want to make a call to the Univ of MN just to ask about what plans they have. Perhaps you can make an arrangement for the testing. Never know unless you ask.