Possible Shunt/Liver Disease

[Maximo]

Good info to know about collapsed trachea.

I'm sorry Ann to add to any confusion. Everyone wants to help you to help Lucy get the best possible care. It can seem overwhelming, but they want you to have the benefit of their experience and knowledge in dealing with these problems and doctors.

[aproctor]

Originally Posted by aproctor

imho??

Thanks...couldn't figure that one out...not too tech savy sometimes!

[aproctor]

Originally Posted by Ellie May

By the way, enzymes were very high and bile acids were kinda weird in this case. Of course I in no way can tell you what is wrong, but I do think there are other possibilities besides liver shunt. Only a specialist can make that determination though. That's why I wouldn't concentrate so much on the tests they may or may not do and instead concentrate on getting her into a specialist for evaluation of their choosing asap.

Those are my thoughts exactly, the enzymes were high but the bile acids are odd.

Is is possible that she got into something or the combination of me feeding her Nutro and my mother slipping her table food made her liver levels high because it all built up in her system and that was the reaction??? Now that I am feeding her better and making sure NO ONE is feeding her from the table she is feeling better and I wonder what her liver enzyme levels are now?

Sorry...going kind of random but I have been thinking about these things a lot!

[aproctor]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

I make my own referrals now because I am familiar with the specialists; but new patients must have a vet referral.

Texas A&M always did that as well. I have not been there in years though since I have great specialists here.

But, I am confused here on this one. Did the vet recommend a specialist or advise her to schedule an ultrasound?

The vet recommended I see the specialist to do the ultrasound...
I am wondering too why she would do that. I think the specialist should tell me what we need to do next.

See this is why I am so confused. I think I may need to get all my test results from this vet and go see another one and ask where I should go from here.

I know she should be seen by a specialist but it just seems like my current vet is not very decisive as to what I should do...that does not seem like a good thing to me!!

[aproctor]

Originally Posted by Maximo

Good info to know about collapsed trachea.

I'm sorry Ann to add to any confusion. Everyone wants to help you to help Lucy get the best possible care. It can seem overwhelming, but they want you to have the benefit of their experience and knowledge in dealing with these problems and doctors.

Oh no you didn't add to my confusion. No worries...I just had a little breakdown I think earlier because I was so excited about finally having a decision and then everyone said I needed to see a Board Certified specialist and then it seemed like I was back to the drawing board.
Like I said my head was spinning and it is more from the Vet than everyone on here..I feel like if it weren't for all of you I wouldn't know what to ask and I would be nowhere.

[Ellie May]

You could get a second opinion, but then that could be a waste of time and money. Doesn't really matter what a general vet thinks should be done at this point once a dog is sent to a specialist. It's their call. As Ellie's vet tells clients when she works ER and finds a problem that needs a specialist, "You'll go there and take this paper with you along with test results. They may do XYZ if they agree with what I'm thinking or they may not agree with me."

Lucy needs a specialist, so it doesn't really matter what a second general vet says.

A toxin can make enzymes and bile acids go up. Whether or not there was a toxin in any of that food (or she got something outside, etc.) would be the question. A specialist can assess for that. Things like chocolate, xylitol (in a lot of things), chemicals, etc. can do a lot to the liver as can infections like leptosporosis, etc. So no way to say right now.

[107barney]

Ann
I always self refer but I have my vet write up the summary and send the records. I think the vet is correctly sending you for specialist care and its because she is not a specialist herself. The board certified vets will know what to do and explain it all to you. My Daisy once had weird bile acids results like this -- how the protocol is done for the blood draw matters.

[aproctor]

Thanks everyone!

I guess I just need to decide where to take her. There seems to be one other Board Certified Vet other than the U of M so I may talk to them tomorrow too.

[gaijingirl]

Are you a member of the Livershunt and MVD support group? If not, I would suggest you check it out. There is a lot of information they have filed there and very helpful people with experience with liver disease dogs.

You may also find some information from the University of TN website.

[ArmaniMan]

Originally Posted by gaijingirl

Are you a member of the Livershunt and MVD support group? If not, I would suggest you check it out. There is a lot of information they have filed there and very helpful people with experience with liver disease dogs.

You may also find some information from the University of TN website.

This group can be a good research tool- but be careful if you check it out- if you think you are overwhelmed now I was encouraged to join when my first pup was diagnosed with MVD- I wrote a little about my dogs situation and the course of treatment my vet had recommended. I started getting inundated with emails and posts from people who were telling me what I HAD to do- the one med that many liver dogs take for instance made my dog very sick, the vet suggested it was not worth her being sick and that we try something else- I had people telling me I HAD to give her the meds anyway! There were many more examples like this.

[aproctor]

I just talked to my Vet and she said she thought the Dr at Blue Pearl that she sent me to WAS Board Certified....she is going to call them today to verify. Dr Myers did a residency at the U of M and my vet said either BP didn't update their website after she finished OR that she may not have finished or is in the process of finishing her BC residency.
Also, she said if I do decide to go to the U of M that I will most likely see a resident first and go from there.

She also said that if she was in this situation with her own dog she would start with Blue Pearl and that she would trust Dr Myers!

My vet is going to talk to Dr Myers and make sure she is familiar with shunts and liver disease and she said she will ask who will do the ultrasound and if that is where they would start so I am waiting for her to call me back on that.

[aproctor]

Originally Posted by gaijingirl

Are you a member of the Livershunt and MVD support group? If not, I would suggest you check it out. There is a lot of information they have filed there and very helpful people with experience with liver disease dogs.

You may also find some information from the University of TN website.

Thank you I will check those sites out!

[aproctor]

Originally Posted by ArmaniMan

This group can be a good research tool- but be careful if you check it out- if you think you are overwhelmed now I was encouraged to join when my first pup was diagnosed with MVD- I wrote a little about my dogs situation and the course of treatment my vet had recommended. I started getting inundated with emails and posts from people who were telling me what I HAD to do- the one med that many liver dogs take for instance made my dog very sick, the vet suggested it was not worth her being sick and that we try something else- I had people telling me I HAD to give her the meds anyway! There were many more examples like this.

And thank you...I will check them out but the last thing I need right now is to be overwhelmed as I already am! I will tread cautiously and I appreciate you letting me know!

[BabyGirl Rosie]

Originally Posted by aproctor

I just talked to my Vet and she said she thought the Dr at Blue Pearl that she sent me to WAS Board Certified....she is going to call them today to verify. Dr Myers did a residency at the U of M and my vet said either BP didn't update their website after she finished OR that she may not have finished or is in the process of finishing her BC residency.
Also, she said if I do decide to go to the U of M that I will most likely see a resident first and go from there.

She also said that if she was in this situation with her own dog she would start with Blue Pearl and that she would trust Dr Myers!

My vet is going to talk to Dr Myers and make sure she is familiar with shunts and liver disease and she said she will ask who will do the ultrasound and if that is where they would start so I am waiting for her to call me back on that.

Sounds like you are working it out and have a game plan. Wishing you and your furbaby the best!!! Keep us updated!

[AprilLove]

Originally Posted by aproctor

I just talked to my Vet and she said she thought the Dr at Blue Pearl that she sent me to WAS Board Certified....she is going to call them today to verify. Dr Myers did a residency at the U of M and my vet said either BP didn't update their website after she finished OR that she may not have finished or is in the process of finishing her BC residency.
Also, she said if I do decide to go to the U of M that I will most likely see a resident first and go from there.

She also said that if she was in this situation with her own dog she would start with Blue Pearl and that she would trust Dr Myers!

My vet is going to talk to Dr Myers and make sure she is familiar with shunts and liver disease and she said she will ask who will do the ultrasound and if that is where they would start so I am waiting for her to call me back on that.

Hi Ann,
I am in MN too, welcome to YT, and sorry it is under these circumstances. I just wanted to tell you that I had to take one of my babies to the U of M for a different issue (cardiology), and they do have board certified specialists in most disciplines, and internal medicine for sure.
The way it worked for me is my Vet called them to make the referral, then they (U of M) called me and set up the appointment, I believe it was on a Friday, and I was in to see them on Monday. (You don't have to have a referral, but I believe it gets you in quicker)
I would highly recommend you go there if you can, it is a teaching hospital, but they always have the certified doctors see your baby along with the resident/tech. A resident may see her first, but at the appointment, you will also see a board cert specialist, who is the one who will be in charge of your case. It is a top notch place from my experience, and we felt very comfortable there with the way they handled my furbaby and our situation.
Hope this helps at least in understanding how it works there.

Good luck with your baby and I hope you can get some answers soon!