|
Liver shunt/Hepatic Encephalitis near end stage?? I have a 7 year old yorkie that was diagnosed with hepatic encephalitis due to congenital liver shunts approximately 5 years ago. <He is given lactulose and S-Adenonsylmethionine daily, with an Rx diet.> Within the last month, he is not sleeping through the night. He barks and whines almost constantly at any given hour (AFTER BEDTIME), and may or may not settle, but if he does it's temporary. We take him out multiple times. (This is just the newest of the typical symptoms that he displays as a yorkie with this disease.) My husband and I are exhausted, both literally and mentally, trying to figure out what to do. Has anyone dealt with this?? Are we near the end stage? Is there ANYTHING we can do?? Thank you for reading. |
I'm so sorry you are going through this, you have done very well to keep him this long . I hope that someone with experience of this can give you some advice. |
Thank you =( It is difficult to watch. He has a vet appointment this Friday to test his liver function. He's very much not himself. He's usually very energetic and spunky. It's very hard on my daughter as well. :unlove: |
My yorkie Troy had a form of encephalitis (GME) . His deteriorating was very quick however i knew it was time when he was restless , wasn’t eating and anxious. It was a scary decline and despite the meds he wasn’t the same and his quality of life was very low so made the decision to say our goodbyes . I’m so sorry you’re going through this . It’s not easy. |
Oh my, this is so very sad. My Yorkie had GME he was very restless in the beginning. After treatments and regular meds he calmed down. I went through at least 2 weeks without sleep. He wouldn't sleep so of course I didn't. This is very hard. I have no advice for you unfortunately. My little boy died suddenly 2 years into the GME. So very sorry for you and all involved. Prayers coming your way. Also, I think your baby will tell you when the time is. |
Sadly, if a liver shunt cannot be or are not repaired it does shorten a pup's life; BUT, that does not mean that is where your baby is right now!! Like the commercial on tv for the cancer center says: we are not born with expiration dates stamped on our feet....neither are our pups. I have seen extremely ill pups recover well...especially yorkies! They are a very resilient breed. You didn't mention your vet. THAT is the first thing to do ... get him to a vet and get an exam and also blood work done. Perhaps there are other things going on that are an easy fix. I am so sorry. It is so hard to watch a pup that you love so much be so sick. Just don't give up....get him to the vet to be sure what it is! Please let us know when you go to the vet and how it goes. We do have people on this forum with liver shunt experience; but, most will tell you the same thing. Vet is always first! If he comes up as being really ill...you might also consider an internal med specialist. You can find one at : American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine > Home |
Thank you all. We got bile acid results back today. The vet said he didn't have anything good to tell us. His bile acids are incredibly high (464.3 postprandial). We are starting him on antibiotic. If that doesn't help, we will add a steroid. Other than that, there's not much else we can do for him. <Per previous testing (when he was diagnosed years ago), he is not eligible for surgery.> |
My beloved mother passed away from pancreatic cancer. She developed hyperammonia encephalitis due to an obstructed vein to her liver. I think the effect is probably similar to the liver shunt in your pup...They tried using lactulose on her (which is why I thought to share my experience with you) and it did help to a degree. What helped her a lot with the symptoms was an antiobiotic called Rifaximin. It works in the gut to help clear out the ammonia I think. I think I read somewhere that there is a drug for dogs too (not the same)...sorry, just read you did start on an antibiotic. In mom's case the doctors were pretty pathetic. My 80 year old retired MD father is the one who figured out the problem and he is the one who demanded the medicine. It really did seem to help. Hopefully your vet has done the reading on HE. FYI, mom became very unsteady, had blurry vision, agitated, and difficulty finding the correct words or having a conversation...It was terrible to see her that way. I assume dogs may have similar symptoms, but they can't tell us. I hope you can manage the symptoms and keep him happy. |
| All times are GMT -8. The time now is 10:15 PM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©2003 - 2018 YorkieTalk.com
Privacy Policy - Terms of Use