Gracie and liver issues

[GracieJane]

Some have read already, but... Gracie had LP surgery in July, and bloodwork showed elevated liver enzymes. We waited 6 weeks for a retest, and numbers were stable, but still high. We followed up the next day with a BAT which was 100 pre and 80 postprandial. After seeing an internal medicine specialist, they did an ultrasound and suggested surgery, although the shunt could not be visualized.

Since Gracie was scheduled for a follow-up on her knees and anesthesia was possible, we opted to have the liver surgery today.

The surgeon and I spoke before surgery, and she warned me about enough side effects that I considered calling it off, but she assured me that results are usually excellent.

Of course, despite all of the opinions, they could not find a shunt--glad that the surgery (biopsy) is much less serious, but kind of sad that there was no easy fix. They also removed a pin from one knee, and the knees are doing well.

The good news--Gracie is totally asymptomatic--she is small, but she is a mighty spitfire--no lethargy for her! The surgeon said that her liver looks good and seems sure that the diagnosis will be MVD and that it will be treatable. I am also looking forward to not "waiting" for a problem with her. We had her less than 6 months when the LP was diagnosed, and that led to all of this. I just want to enjoy her without worrying about the next thing.

So throw into the saga car-totaling accident I caused last week, a wedding exactly a month ago, and the new(er) puppy (who is TOO cute for her own good), and I am ready for some quiet. Oh, scratch that. New grandson due next month.

Thanks for listening--only this group would understand and "get it."

[Lolasmom1211]

So glad Gracie's surgery went well. My Lola was also diagnosed with MVD after her liver shunt surgery. That was 5+ years ago and she is doing fantastic. Gracie is lucky to have you!

[GracieJane]

Thanks for the encouragement! We will get the results of the liver biopsy by next week, so I am off to pick her up and take her home.

[sophiesmominva]

Great to hear!

[GracieJane]

We received the biopsy results from Gracie's surgery last week. She has a diagnosis of MVD. The consensus is to do nothing unless she becomes symptomatic, but I will speak to the internist tomorrow to confirm.

It has been a long few months-LP diagnosis, spay, LP surgery, liver suspicions from bloodwork, retest, ultrasound, liver surgery, and assorted related IV lines. I am excited to get her stitches out tomorrow, let her hair grow, and just enjoy her for while. She has a baby sister to get fully adjusted to, and a ton of other things to enjoy. I am seeing hints that she may be beginning to understand about potty training (hallelujah!), and she will likely always be our wild child--!

I will need to call her breeder. I think she is a kind lady, but I understand the importance now of a breeder developing reliable lines. I hope she will not ever breed these two parents together again. I hate to think what would have happened to Gracie if we had been unable or unwilling to expend huge amounts of money to have her treated--none of which has been covered by insurance. I also hate to think of the stress it could cause in a young family with children still to care for.

But mainly, we plan to enjoy our sweet, funny girls. Gracie was a year old yesterday--in a few months we will celebrate her first year with us and hope it is one of many!

[mindy10]

Bless little Gracie. I pray she has many many years with you and your family.
You know we all go into this not knowing what our little babies will develop. We just have to take day by day and enjoy them well they are here. Heck we don't even know what life holds for even us!!

[sophiesmominva]

Gracie is so blessed to have you! As someone who is going through this as well, I can relate. Why is pet insurance not covering any of this?

[GracieJane]

The insurance does not cover genetic conditions. It does cover part of the surgery for diagnosis, but not within the 12 months following inception of the policy.

Still need to get coverage for Millie. Does anyone know of any that cover genetic issues?

[dottiesyrky]

Gracie is so lucky to have you as her mom; you have done so much to care for her health issues and I pray she does not need more surgery to lead a happy life.
I am so sorry that your insurance is not much help to you, but hope you are able to get better coverage for Millie.
The choices for insurance are many and one has to be very careful to make critical comparisons to get the best one for your needs and budget.
I have Trupanion and they do cover genetic conditions providing they are not preexisting. It is good to get insurance ASAP and have a clean bill of health from a vet exam. I know others here will have other suggestions for good insurance as well.
Good luck with Gracie.

[Lookingforone]

What insurance do you have?

[dottiesyrky]

I have a company called Trupanion and am very happy with the service they give.
I have zero deductible and they pay 90% of covered costs. Do not pay for vet visits and routine things ditch as dentals and shots. But that is ok with me. They do not increase yearly premiums due to age, but I have had one increase in five years, mainly due to higher vet costs in my area.
They cover meds, tests and surgery and even pay half of prescription food! There are no yearly or lifetime cost caps I believe.
But I hope others will give their insurance company experiences as well.
Good luck with this tough decision.

[intilis]

Originally Posted by GracieJane

Some have read already, but... Gracie had LP surgery in July, and bloodwork showed elevated liver enzymes. We waited 6 weeks for a retest, and numbers were stable, but still high. We followed up the next day with a BAT which was 100 pre and 80 postprandial. After seeing an internal medicine specialist, they did an ultrasound and suggested surgery, although the shunt could not be visualized.

Since Gracie was scheduled for a follow-up on her knees and anesthesia was possible, we opted to have the liver surgery today.

The surgeon and I spoke before surgery, and she warned me about enough side effects that I considered calling it off, but she assured me that results are usually excellent.

Of course, despite all of the opinions, they could not find a shunt--glad that the surgery (biopsy) is much less serious, but kind of sad that there was no easy fix. They also removed a pin from one knee, and the knees are doing well.

The good news--Gracie is totally asymptomatic--she is small, but she is a mighty spitfire--no lethargy for her! The surgeon said that her liver looks good and seems sure that the diagnosis will be MVD and that it will be treatable. I am also looking forward to not "waiting" for a problem with her. We had her less than 6 months when the LP was diagnosed, and that led to all of this. I just want to enjoy her without worrying about the next thing.

So throw into the saga car-totaling accident I caused last week, a wedding exactly a month ago, and the new(er) puppy (who is TOO cute for her own good), and I am ready for some quiet. Oh, scratch that. New grandson due next month.

Thanks for listening--only this group would understand and "get it."

Wow Janet, you've had your hands full! I'm so glad that you are Gracie's mom, she is so lucky you were there for her. Many could/would not have gotten her such great care!

I'm praying that the MVD never causes her problems, and that she has an uneventful recovery from her LP surgery.

I have Petplan insurance, and they also cover congenital issues as long as they are not preexisting.

[sophiesmominva]

I have Healthy Paws but have not yet made a claim. They also cover congenitial issues as long as they are not pre-existing.

[ladyjane]

Gracie is so fortunate to have such a loving family!

Here is a link about pet insurance that may help you make a decision about what company to go with:

10 Best Pet Insurance of 2014 | Trusted by 547,000 | Consumers Advocate

[GracieJane]

Thanks for all of the information about insurance! I will look into some the things you have suggested. We have VPI for Gracie. They did say to send the bills so they could have them on file, but they pay nothing for these issues until the policy has been in effect for a year.

Gracie was the "runt" of her litter and is a wiry little maybe 3 pounds. Millie, while small, had a smaller brother and is a round little thing with a chubby little tummy. The vet laughed at how different they are. I hope this bodes well for her overall health.

I have spoken with the surgeon, internist, and our regular vet in the last couple of days, and they all seem to think that Gracie may do fine for a long time. We will have blood tested a couple of times a year to catch any changes.

So hopefully all will be well. I certainly never expected this, but Gracie is a tenacious little thing and she has deserved our best.