Mild MVD
 

Does anyone else have a Yorkie that has a mild case of MVD? Since
Mickey's portal scan showed no signs of liver shunt, our internist has
suggested that we monitor Mickey, keep him on the special diet with no
animal proteins and retest his bile acids in three months. Therefore,
they suggest that I don't give Mickey any additional proteins such as
cottage cheese or yogurt. She was not willing to prescribe hepato
support at this time because they do not know if it is necessary at
this point. I was just wondering if anyone else is having a similar
situation.

Thank you.

I am sure your internist knows what he/she is doing. The LP diet he has recommended is protocol for mvd. You may want to ask about milk thistle or marin. You do not need a prescription for it. It helps to restore liver cells and or function. Hang in there and just keep asking questions. You can also joint a group at Yahoo on liver disease, shunt and mvd. There is a great wealth of information there and a lot of support. You can also get some great diet information for mvd. Rest assure that mvd is not a death sentence. If monitored they can have a long life.
There is a great recipe for dog treats for mvd and you use the LP wet food. Take it out of the can in one piece. Cut it into 6 pieces and bake on a cookie sheet for about 45 minutes. Let cool and cut into pieces. My little guy loves it. Can you tell me more about the symptons that your dog had? Our vet has also ruled out liver shunt but he is having seizures and a lot of others things that leaves me to believe he has mvd. I would be grateful for your response. You can pm me if you would like. Good luck with your baby.

I have some Hill's wet LP diet, that sounds like a great idea for making treats. I will try it. I feed him the Royal Canin Hepatic LS 14 dry. He loves it. I do belong to the yahoo group. You are right, they have some great people on that site with some additonal good information. I find it a bit harder to browse the site, a bit confusing. Not as user friendly as this site or my Yorkie Meetup site. Mickey is asymptomatic, meaning, no symptoms. I merely brought him to the Vet to be neutered and that is blood panel ALT's were high. They did a liver function bile acids test and his levels were high after he ate. Not excessively high though. His ALT's were 369 and his bile acids were 2.2 before he ate and 59 after he ate. They did the portal nuclear scan and found 0.0% shunt function, meaning no shunt. Where do you buy the milk thistle? Yes, I know MVD can be controlled. I would be grateful if that was all it was. I have a thyroid condition and take meds everyday and I plan on living for a long time (smile!)

So for now because Mickey has no symptoms we are going to monitor him, give him the special diet and retest him in three months.

I hope your little one does well too. Thanks for responding and for your help.

Cali was diagnosed with a mile MVD confirmed by a Liver biopsy. Her surgeon felt it was so mild that no treatment was necessary. I do try and watch her protein intake. Treats can have a lot of protein so watch out for that.

Mild MVD
 

Patti,

Do you remember what Cali's bile acids levels were? For now, we are not doing the biopsy, but in June when we retest, that might change. Do you have Pet Insurance? I have VPI, but I was told they may not pay for hereditary issues. Do you feed Cali regular dog food with animal proteins? She does not have to be on the special diets? Thanks for answering all my questions.

Take care,

Cali's first BA test was 0/95 and 2nd one was 0/37 or real close to that. The specialist I saw told me in her experience that lower scores under 100 tended to indicate possible MVD rather than an external shunt and that was the case with Cali. I do feed her animal proteins but try and keep her protein under 17%. Just a number I came up with. Surgeon felt hers was so mild that no treatment was necessary. I do have her blood work done every 6 months just to keep an eye on her liver and kidney functions. I have not redone the Bile Acids. VPI denied most of the liver shunt charges, but submit all charges they may pick up some. Good luck!

anyone not asymptomatic?
 

Is there anyone on this tread that has a dog with symptons? What are they? Icky seizures, stumbles ect and has had tests run with diagnosis no liver shunt?
We are just heart broken while we wait on more test results.

Liver_Shunt_And_MVD_Support Type this in & register there. It's a lot of
helpful information.

RC Hepatic LS 14 is a great food for dogs with liver problems. If your vet said not to add additional proteins such as cottage cheese and stuff like that, then I wouldn't consider putting her on a food with animal proteins just yet. Wait until your vet says it's okay. The reason being that animal proteins are so much harder for their livers to process...I would hate for your baby to start having symptoms because she's having a hard time with the animal proteins, ya know? Keep us posted! Milk thistle and Sam-E are wonderful supplements that help the liver. They can be purchased at any pharmacy around the vitamin/supplement area. They say to give 1/4 of the human dose of milk thistle, which you can buy in liquid form(probably easier) and the Sam-E is great too. Buy the lower dose one (200mg or under). The Sam-E cannot be broken or it loses its effectiveness, so you have to give it whole. Did your vet prescribe lactulose?

How can the vet be so positive that your yorkie has a mild MVD ? The only way to know is by doing a liver biopsy . What are bile acids and ALT results ?

My Vet is not positive that it is mild MVD, that is what I think. I did not do a biopsy. Our plan of action for now is to monitor Mickey for three months and then do the Bile Acid Test again. Until then, he is on the Royal Canin Hepatic LS 14 dry food. No other supplements or prescriptions. Mickey is asymptomatic. The only reason we knew anything was up was because he went in to be neutered and his ALT's were 369. When they did the Bile Acid Liver Function test it was 2.2 fasting and 59 after eating.

He shows no symptoms at all. So, that is why the internist suggested we do nothing for 3 months and then test again. Prior to this, he was eating the Royal Canin food for Yorkshire Terriers.

I guess we have to all do what we think is right for our beloved Yorkie and our family. All of this advice and information is fabulous and it helps a lot. But, at the end of the day, we do what's best for us.

Thank you,

Attacked by stray
 

I am sorry if I sounded defensive or bitchy on my last posting. I apologize and did not mean any disrespect to anyone. As if my baby Mickey has not been through enough, we went for our usual walk Friday night and were attacked by a stray dog.

A neighbor found a corgi and kept it for several days. I was in front of my home on Thursday night and she came by to ask us if the dogs was ours, I said no. We talked and I told her that she had to take the dog to the animal control center or call them to pick up the dog. She said the dog was worth $1,000 and that she was not going to call them. She said she was going to find the dog's owner on her own. I also suggested that she take the dog to Petsmart to be scanned for the micro chip. I guess I should have called myself, but I did not.

Friday night Mickey and I walked out of my home and two houses down the road we were attacked by the dog. I saw him coming, but he charged at us and I had no time to really respond. He had Mickey's rear end in his mouth and I was HYSTERICAL! I dove for the ground and tried to pull them apart. I felt completely helpless. Finally, Mickey ran under a truck as I was screaming for someone to help us. Many neighbors came outside and stopped the traffic and helped me. I don't know how I did it, but I was able to speed dial my husband on my cell phone who came outside to get us. I thought the dog still had Mickey in his mouth but he did not. I coaxed Mickey in a loving voice out from under the truck. He was hesitant, but when he realized it was me, he came to "Mommy"... I was crying and screaming and it was all a blur. My husband was trying to get the dog off of me, because the dog kept trying to jump on me to get to Mickey. I took Mickey to the Emergency Room and the doctor was baffled. He examined Mickey thoroughly and said that it was a miracle that he was not hurt more. He has a small cut on this hind thigh and bruising. The Vet said that the Puppia jacket harness I had on Mickey must have saved him. I walk Mickey everyday and he is always leashed. I live in a "nice area" and would expect people to be more responsible. I called Animal Control and they are sending an officer to the house. I gave them the lady's name and address. I really don't know her, she lives two courts down the street. I also called them back because I am afraid to go outside and walk Mickey now. I want to make sure the dog was picked up and it was, thank God!

Mickey seems fine now. He is staying close to me like velcro. My poor baby has been through so much in the last week. We just had a follow up appt. at the Vet after his portal scan and he was shaking when we were there. Now, this...

I hope nobody ever has to go through this. It was so scary. I couldn't sleep last night because I keep picturing in my head that dog having Mickey in his grips.

Keep us in your thoughts again. I owe you all. I am sorry for the long post, I am just so shaken up. I need to vent and warn others to be careful. I had Mickey on a leash and it happened so fast, I don't think there was anything I could do. I called animal control again and the dog was impounded. I left a message for the officer assigned to the case and he will call me tomorrow.
Mickey little cut is healing nicely.

I have not seen the neighbor, although I really don't know her, she lives two streets down. I do walk by her house when I walk Mickey. I think she may think that I ratted her out for no reason. Any suggestions as to how I should handle her? Do nothing? Write her a letter explaining my distain for her negligence or knock on the door? Just wondering. I have done nothing as yet and may not do anything.

Attacked by stray
 

I am sorry if I sounded defensive or bitchy on my last posting. I apologize and did not mean any disrespect to anyone. As if my baby Mickey has not been through enough, we went for our usual walk Friday night and were attacked by a stray dog.

A neighbor found a corgi and kept it for several days. I was in front of my home on Thursday night and she came by to ask us if the dogs was ours, I said no. We talked and I told her that she had to take the dog to the animal control center or call them to pick up the dog. She said the dog was worth $1,000 and that she was not going to call them. She said she was going to find the dog's owner on her own. I also suggested that she take the dog to Petsmart to be scanned for the micro chip. I guess I should have called myself, but I did not.

Friday night Mickey and I walked out of my home and two houses down the road we were attacked by the dog. I saw him coming, but he charged at us and I had no time to really respond. He had Mickey's rear end in his mouth and I was HYSTERICAL! I dove for the ground and tried to pull them apart. I felt completely helpless. Finally, Mickey ran under a truck as I was screaming for someone to help us. Many neighbors came outside and stopped the traffic and helped me. I don't know how I did it, but I was able to speed dial my husband on my cell phone who came outside to get us. I thought the dog still had Mickey in his mouth but he did not. I coaxed Mickey in a loving voice out from under the truck. He was hesitant, but when he realized it was me, he came to "Mommy"... I was crying and screaming and it was all a blur. My husband was trying to get the dog off of me, because the dog kept trying to jump on me to get to Mickey. I took Mickey to the Emergency Room and the doctor was baffled. He examined Mickey thoroughly and said that it was a miracle that he was not hurt more. He has a small cut on this hind thigh and bruising. The Vet said that the Puppia jacket harness I had on Mickey must have saved him. I walk Mickey everyday and he is always leashed. I live in a "nice area" and would expect people to be more responsible. I called Animal Control and they are sending an officer to the house. I gave them the lady's name and address. I really don't know her, she lives two courts down the street. I also called them back because I am afraid to go outside and walk Mickey now. I want to make sure the dog was picked up and it was, thank God!

Mickey seems fine now. He is staying close to me like velcro. My poor baby has been through so much in the last week. We just had a follow up appt. at the Vet after his portal scan and he was shaking when we were there. Now, this...

I hope nobody ever has to go through this. It was so scary. I couldn't sleep last night because I keep picturing in my head that dog having Mickey in his grips.

Keep us in your thoughts again. I owe you all. I am sorry for the long post, I am just so shaken up. I need to vent and warn others to be careful. I had Mickey on a leash and it happened so fast, I don't think there was anything I could do. I called animal control again and the dog was impounded. I left a message for the officer assigned to the case and he will call me tomorrow.
Mickey little cut is healing nicely.

I have not seen the neighbor, although I really don't know her, she lives two streets down. I do walk by her house when I walk Mickey. I think she may think that I ratted her out for no reason. Any suggestions as to how I should handle her? Do nothing? Write her a letter explaining my distain for her negligence or knock on the door? Just wondering. I have done nothing as yet and may not do anything.

Oh my goodness!!! I am so sorry that your baby was attacked...Mickey must have been horrified and traumatized by this experience. You two have had such a rough time with his medical problems and all the testing as it is and to have this happen just stinks for poor little Mickey. I hope he doesn't think all dogs do this and that he is able to trust other dogs again. How's he doing, by the way?

What a nightmare. I am so happy to hear that no one was seriously hurt. I am sure your nerves will be frayed for a while.

Thanks to everyone. Mickey seems fine, but I am a bit out of sorts. I have not been the same since. Hopefully, I can shake this feeling.

[QUOTE=Deezy;1036938]Does anyone else have a Yorkie that has a mild case of MVD? Since
Mickey's portal scan showed no signs of liver shunt, our internist has
suggested that we monitor Mickey, keep him on the special diet with no
animal proteins and retest his bile acids in three months. Therefore,
they suggest that I don't give Mickey any additional proteins such as
cottage cheese or yogurt. She was not willing to prescribe hepato
support at this time because they do not know if it is necessary at
this point. I was just wondering if anyone else is having a similar
situation.

I just adopted a Yorkie to a wonderful family. He has MVD. Along with his LD canned 3 times a day he is being fed plain pasta,cottage cheese 4% and oatmeal.
The only way to know for sure is if a biopsy is done although if he has stabilized on this kind of diet, why do surgery?

Good luck!

I agree. We are not rushing to do a biopsy until our internist suggests that we do so. I probably will never do one. He is happy, healthy and a ball of joy! I call Mickey my little vegetarian. That is what he is. No different than a human who is a vegetarian or vegan. He'll be fine.

At this time the Vet said I do not have to give Mickey any additional proteins. He loves Carrots and apples. I am going to try that recipe where you bake the Hill's L/D and cut it up and use it for snacks or treats.

Thank you!

Vegetarian Treats?
 

Has anyone tried any vegetarian treats? I give my Yorkie carrots and apples, but I have not purchased any vege treats online. I got confused when I started to look.

Just wondering...thanks!

With all these recalls going on, I do not trust any dog food company to make a safe treat....I'm only feeding human treats which the furbabies like much better. Apples, yogurt, steamed veggies, cheerios, corn flakes, watermelon...Stuff like that :)

Hi all-

I am going through the same thing with my 7month old baby. A few weeks ago we had an "episode" that lead us to believe he could have had a mild seizure of some sort and after being admitted to the hospital that night for monitoring and doing bile acid testing, we started by changing his diet to Hills KD. His only symptom was increased sleepiness about 3 hours after eating where he would curl up and pass out for a good hour or so. Mind you, my pup has never taken a nap in his life! lol.

Fast forward to last night. We did the ultrasound and the internist explained that based upon Brody's "boring" and mild, but elevated bile acid levels (34/77), she was pretty certain she wouldn't see a shunt with the ultrasound. however, it was still a good idea to do one so we could see if there were any kidney stones or crystals forming plus see the size of his liver and compare it to what a regular size is supposed to look like. She was pretty certain Brody could have MVD but the only way to really know for sure would be to either do a CT scan, an exploratory surgery or a liver biopsy. Being that Brody still has to get neutered and have his one undescended testicle removed, we thought it would be an ideal situation to go in and do a "shunt hunt" and fix whatever they found since we had to go into his abdomen anway. But of course it turns out, that testicle is not located in his abdomen, but in his thigh area, hence that whole idea changes.

Now the options are to either get just a basic neuter and remove that testicle, or do the neuter/testicle surgery and do a CT scan under the same anesthesia, or do the neuter/testicle surgery and do an exploratory surgery plus a liver biopsy. Theres alot at stake and being that theres no other real reason to open up his abdomen, I'm not sure thats the route I want to go. Its risky and not to mention very expensive. The internist is going to call me today with some estimates on the different scenerios so i can think about what to do. Its so hard because Brody really has been so good and not shown much abnormal behavior except the sleepiness after he eats. otherwise he's playful, vocal and eats/pees/poops regularly. For now, the internist suggested we put him on lactulose and metronidazole with the Hills KD for a couple of weeks and see how he does. Perhaps by then I will figure out which surgery to do.

I swear, its never easy with these furbabies, but they are SO worth it! :animal36:animal36:animal36

I would recommend starting a new thread so that more people might look and be able to give advice (the original post is pretty old).

So sorry you're going through all this and trying to figure out the best course of action. My Toki has asymptomatic MVD...no neurological symptoms like seizures or the others like diarrhea/vomiting/lethargy etc. We had no idea she even had MVD until we went in for routine blood work which showed elevated liver enzymes. We did the BATs (elevated but not outrageous) and ultrasounds and had a scintigraphy done at NCSU vet school to rule out liver shunt. The next step would have been a biopsy to confirm the MVD but we did not feel it was necessary since she was asymptomatic and we would not have changed the plan of care anyway.

Do you have a facility or vet school near you that does scintigraphy? That is one reliable way of differentiating between MVD and shunt.

This link explains it pretty well. They basically inject radioactive dye into the spleen and they can determine the blood flow and if it goes straight to the liver (no shunt) or if it goes to other organs first like the heart and lungs (shunt).

Portal Scintigraphy in Veterinary Medicine

CT scans are expensive and I would have of course paid for one at the time if it was necessary but I wanted to go through my other options first. Scintigraphy is less invasive than exploratory surgery and not as costly as a CT scan. If the scintigraphy had indicated some type of shunt, I would have then proceeded with a CT scan and/or exploratory surgery as recommended by my vet/specialists. Luckily, the results indicated no shunt so we did not proceed any further. Just giving you some food for thought. Definitely ask your vet about the scintigraphy.

I hope that others will be able to give you more advice on how to proceed with (exploratory surgery vs. CT scan etc.) or what they would do...we have a lot of pups here with liver conditions and different experiences.

My little man has MVD. We had biopsy and CT scan to confirm. He was showing neuro symptoms we actually found out he had MVD in the process of finding out he had a couple of herniated disc in his neck. It has been a long road. He was doing well on his meds and diet but has been sick this week, not eating, throwing up not sure if it is liver related. His system seems to be very sensitive so we have had a very hard time with food and treats. I can't offer much help as we are still trying to figure this all out. I will say a prayer and follow this thread to offer any help I can and hope to find out some new information myself.