Possible Liver Shunt- Prayers Needed!
 

HI all,

My 6 year old Yorkie, Gigi, may have a liver shunt. It all began when I took her in for frequent urination. The vet saw bilirubin crystals in her urine which she felt could indicate possible liver problems. All of Gigi's blood work was normal; however, the BAT noted an abnormal post food score of 132 where normal is <20. My vet has referred me to VRCC (Veterinary Referral Critical Care) in Richmond, VA for an abdominal ultrasound. I have an appointment tomorrow with a Dr. Lori Rios.

Thanks for listening. I am really worried. I'm in the process of reading all of the posts with liver shunt and bile acid tests references. It looks like if there is a liver shunt, Dr Tobias and TN may be the best way to go. Anyone have any recent experiences with Dr. Tobias and/or liver shunt surgery?

Please keep Gigi and I in your prayers!

Erica aka Sugarpig

Sending good thoughts and prayers to you and Gigi.

Prayers going out for GiGi.

VRCC is great place. When we were stationed in Virginia, I had to go there with my late Audrey who had CHF and then my late Annie for her Liver problems. Annie didn't have a shunt but she had MVD, that was controled with diet and med's.

Sending prayers and hugs to you and Gigi, that she will be okay.

Thanks for your prayers.

@TxVicki- thanks for commenting on your experience with VRCC. I've been doing research on them. They seem to have a very good reputation for their level of care.

I will keep Gigi in my thoughts and prayers.

Awesome that TXVicki has experience with the facility in VA...one of the nice things about the internet!..and YT of course! :)

Erica, I will definately keep you and Gigi in my thoughts and prayers. Please be sure to keep us posted about Gigi - we really do care and worried about our extended family.

I'm so sorry to hear that Gigi is having difficulties.

Is it unusal to develop liver shunt later in life? I always assume that other than old-age related issues, other problems showed themselves earlier. ZoE's almost a year old and I keep thinking...so far for good...we make it to two with no problems and we're in the clear. Maybe I'm wrong...

There are two types of shunts: congenital and acquired

There is a lot of information on the web if you google acquired shunt.

Here is one link:

Merck Veterinary Manual

Sending prayers for sweet GiGi. Hugs))) to you both.

Sending prayers and good thoughts for Gigi and you.

Possible Liver Shunt- Update
 

It's been an incredibly long day. I just got back from visiting the internal medicine vet. It looks as if Gigi has an extrahepatic shunt. I feel like I've been punched in the gut. I knew there was chance that this was a possibility given the BAT results but still not what I wanted to hear.

Normal bloodwork but BAT is 136. The vet conducted Protein C level and fasting ammonia testing. Gigi's ammonia was elevated at 206umol/L (normal range 0-98). Results of Protein C should be in next week. Ultrasound revealed an abnormal blood vessel which points to a suspected portosystemic shunt.

Currently, Gigi's treatment is as follows:
Oral lactulose
Metronidazone (to decrease bacterial ammonia production)
Low protein diet- Hill's prescription L/D)
Denamarin and ursodiol (Antioxidant drugs for the liver)

We discussed medical management versus surgery. The Vet advised surgical correction is widely successful in puppies. Gigi just turned 6 in August. She said in an older dog, the risk of post operative seizures and DEATH is significantly higher. :cry: I can't imagine being without her.

I'm waiting on the Protein C results to see if this can further confirm a liver shunt. I've also asked the vet to reach out to Dr. Tobias. At this point, I want to make an informed decision as to what would be the best course of treatment for Gigi. Has anyone's furbaby had this surgery who is around Gigi's age?

Please continue to pray!

Erica

Sending good wishes and support
 

:aimeeyorkSo sorry you are dealing with Liver Shunt. My little one Gabby had her shunt repaired on the 26th and is recovering. Medical management is a good start and will help your baby feel better. Lots of good information on the web as mentioned before. The newer procedures shut down the shunt slowly so the liver has an easier time adjusting. Check out support groups they can help you with information. I will be praying and thinking of you...lots of us have dealt with this and it is a problem in other breeds too.

Good Luck!!!

Erica, I will keep you and your precious Gigi in my thoughts and prayers.

Diagnosis of Liver Shunt- pending
 

HI all,
Thanks for the prayers and support. This is a very stressful time for me :( so I really appreciate this forum!

I received the Protein C results--They are within normal range 95% (reference range 75-135) which is usually associated with MVD. Given the uncertainty of the ultrasound and now this result, Gigi and I are :car: to Dr. Tobias and UT.

I have an appointment scheduled for December 1st. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Thanks Erica

So glad to hear you have an appt with Dr. Tobias. Our baby had liver shunt surgery last May for an extrahepatic shunt and it was totally successful!! She will be 5 this coming Feb., so a bit older too. We took her in to our vet originally because we could not get her house-broke and she was vomiting off and on and not putting on weight. We took her to the Univ of MO at Columbia (here in Mo) where they did an ultrasound which showed the shunt perfectly - did the surgery the next day, and she returned home 2 days after that. It is amazing what a different dog she is. We originally tried to manage it with diet, metroniadzole (which she had a bad reaction to) and homeopathic treatments. There is so much information on YT and I'm sure if you search for liver shunt, etc., on here, you will see bits and pieces of our story. I'm so glad we did the surgery! Good luck to you and you're in our prayers for your appt on the 1st.

I don't think they actually acquire it later in life - it may be just that the affects are not totally noticed until later in life. Our Lexie's symptoms were just what I thought minor, and not all the time, that it took us a while to see that, ok, maybe she wasn't as heavy as she should be and maybe this house-breaking problem was something else - so went though a lot of tests early on. She was eating well and seemed to be acting ok most the time. We didn't narrow down her exact problem until she was 4.

@ Becca1- Yes, I spoke to a resident at UT who was VERY helpful. She stated a great deal of the pups they see are young in years (less than 2 years old) and between 5-7 years. The younger pups exhibited symptoms consisted with liver shunt and/or MVD while the older pups generally did not. Gigi was asymptomatic until I brought her in to the vet for a possible UTI and wanted to get blood work done for teeth cleaning. The vet discovered bilirubin crystals in her urine. Gigi was given antibiotics for the UTI and retested 2 weeks later. Infection cleared but still had bilirubin issues. BAT results were high and off we went to the vet internist.

Thanks for sharing! There aren't a lot of stories about older pups having the liver shunt surgery. The resident advised they have had great success with liver shunt surgeries in older pups. I am very hopeful Gigi will be a good candidate for surgery.

Erica

It sounds like you have done everything right and she will soon be on the road to recovery. Lexie had urine crystals also and we got that cleared up and just went from one thing to another until she was finally diagnosed. Not a lot of "local" vets have the knowledge of liver shunt and we just kept pushing for a diagosis and because of all the information and help I rec'd on YT, I was able to talk to our vets somewhat knowledgeable and get to where we needed to be. Continued good luck and hugs to Gigi. :animal36

Gigi @ UT for liver surgery
 

HI all,
I just wanted to provide an update. Gigi and I are at UT. We met with Dr. Tobias and her most excellent team who confirmed Gigi has 1 liver shunt.

Gigi will have surgery tomorrow morning. They will also take a liver biopsy to determine if she could also have MVD.

Please continue to pray for a successful surgery and even faster recovery.

Thanks all,
Erica

Thank you for the update!! I will have your Gigi in my thoughts and prayers tomorrow! She is in excellent hands! :)

I will pray for Gigi. Hope things go well. (((hugs)))

Sending prayers for Gigi for a safe and successful surgery, and for a speedy recovery. She is in great hands at UT. Looking forward to your updates tomorrow. Hang in there.

Just seeing this thread... sending prayers for Gigi for a successful surgery and speedy recovery.

I'm just now seeing this thread, also. Dr Tobias repaired Lola's shunt in 3/09 and she is doing great. Be prepared for the incision...it may be a little larger than you expect, but did not seem to bother Lola much at all and she is tiny. I did use an infant "onesie" on her instead of the cone and she did much better. I can't say enough wonderful things about Dr Tobias and UT! What a lucky girl Gigi is to have you as a mama. Sending thoughts and prayers your way today - Gigi is in the best of hands!
~~~Valerie, "Lola & Harley"

Erica, you and your sweet Gigi will be in my thoughts and prayers today..

Sending prayers for Gigi for a successful surgery.

Praying that sweet Gigi has a successful surgery.

Gigi will be in my prayers for a safe surgery and a quick recovery.