Sorry to infiltrate your forum
 

I am not a yorkie owner so i aplogize in advance.
I do however own 3 maltese andi found this forum after doing google searches on liver shunts.
I have a girl who will be 3 in march.
She just had the shunt surgery and I am going nuts trying to figure out if her behavior is normal for post op.
She had the procedure on thur...stayed in a hospital that is about 3 hours away until Saturday.
I picked her up and took her home .
She is on antibiotics, anit seizure meds, pain meds, and lactilose
She has been pretty tired and not moving too much...she's eating and drinking but Only when I pick her up carry her to her bowl and feed her by hand.
She actually threw up twice today...it was in a row...not seperate parts of he day.
She is sleeping next to me right now so I can monitor her.
I have no idea if this is normal or if she needs to go back to the hospital .
I called them but the surgeon is off until tomorrow....they are under staffed bc of the holiday .
Can anyone who knows about this tell me a tying about this recovery?
Any help would be appreciated .
Again, I'm sorry about my dog not being a yorkie but this forum seems to know a lot about this surgery .

Thank you In advance
R

Hi and Welcome to YT!

My dog had the surgery. She was sore for a while after, so slow moving and not too interested in food (pain meds can do that). It can take quite a few days for them to really start acting somewhat normal.

Are your pup's gums pink? I would say if you have any doubts, take her to an ER and have a vet check her out.... it would well be worth having the peace of mind...

Thinking maybe one of her meds may not be agreeing with her? IDK. With vomiting, one has to worry about aspiration...

What are the anti seizure meds for?

Please don't apologize...you're not intruding at all. A shunt is a shunt no matter what breed it's in and we all love our babies so you have to take all the information you can find when you need it :)

Welcome and good luck with your baby...

Apparently seizures are a problem potentially after the surgery. So they put her on these meds 48 hours before and some time after...the fact that she's eating makes me feel better ( she's on the LD can ) but man it's tough to see her like this.
Before the surgery she a symptomatic ...so you couldn't even tell she was sick.
Now she's a mess and I feel bad bc I feel responsible in some way bc I decided to do it.
They said she would get very I'll bc. Of the shunt if I didn't ...and like I said the hospital is very far away. From what I have Ben reading here, many of you got on a plane so I should feel better.
But the whole ordeal has been horrible...especially before Xmas.
The kids are upset, I'm upset...and she's nasty looking and in need of a bath.
I guess I'll wait till the morning And see how she looks and decide then.

Exactly! We love our babies Yorkie or not! I have a Beagle too! :D.

I am so sorry about your baby. I have no experience with this but would like to send a special prayer that your baby feels better soon. I know someone here will be able to give you more information.

The seizure meds are given because of this problem ( taken from here as a copy paste ACVS - Portosystemic Shunts (PSS))


One of the most problematic post-op complications is development of seizures that are refractory to treatment.* This occurs most frequently in toy breed dogs, in the first 4-5 days post-op.* The cause of these seizures is unknown, but is thought to be due to the fact that in the shunting state, toxins in the circulation bathing the brain prompt the body to produce endogenous(made within the body) benzodiazepines (valium-like substances) that act as anti-seizure medication.* Post-op, it is possible that seizures occur because the brain has adapted to that altered metabolism or because of sudden withdrawal of the anticonvulsant effects of the endogenous benzodiazepines that are no longer being produced since the shunt was ligated. Seizures can be are managed with anti-seizure medication (Phenobarbital, potassium bromide).* In severe cases, intravenous administration of pentobarbital, propofol (anesthetic agent) and/or calium may be required to control seizures.* Post-op development of seizures that are poorly controlled by medication is a very poor prognosis.

I am so sorry your baby is not feeling well. My little female had her liver shunt repaired 4 years ago. She stayed in the hospital for 2 nights and then was released to me. She was very, very clingy when she was first released and was not too interested in food. She did not come home on antibiotics or antiseizure meds, but each dog is different. Was your little one having seizures or neurological symtoms prior to the surgery? Lola was not, nor was she on antibiotics. The antiseizure meds could be making your little one throw
up or it could be the other meds. We were also not close to where we had the surgery performed. If it were me and she were not considerably better very, very soon, I would take her to my local vet to have her checked. I think she should be tired and a little sore, but I also think that 3-4 days post-op she should be improving each day...if not, she definitely needs to be seen. I would not want to wait any longer. Keep us posted...

You are not intruding... we welcome all animal lovers. :)

Hope your little girl recovers nicely and sorry I cannot be of help with the medical part.

It could be the medicine but if she was mine I would take her to the vet just to be on the safe side. Keep us updated, welcome to YT

Thinking too the antiseizure meds and the pain meds together may be a little too much for her.... she may just need an adjustment to her dose... something to discuss with the vet. Hope she's feeling better soon...

You are not intruding. Everyone is welcome. Liver shunt is liver shunt, doesn't matter which breed. I have cats. So welcome. I am sorry she is sick. I hope she is on the road to recovery. I was thinking the same thing. Maybe the meds. I would call the vet. They can patch you to the vet on call

I stopped the pain meds bc she was just pumped way too high on meds. She wasn't I terested in food or water this morning . She does seem much more alert though

welcome to yt...i hope your baby recovers asap.

How is your baby feeling today?