Hi, so glad your dog does not have liver shunt. Wanted to share my story of my Enzo with you as it sounds similar to what you are dealing with. At 4.5 years old he had a seizure out of the blue. Enzo would always shake/tremor, threw up often and always itchy. Most days he was a regular happy dog but he would have episodes where he just seemed sick and would shakes. After he had two seizures (the first the Vet dismissed as wait and see because we weren't even sure if was a seizure) we took him for a bile acid test. The test was definitely higher than normal but not off the charts. I was freaking out and went to our state of the art local clinic to get tested right away but the vet there said that an MRI would be most accurate (all vets I have seen since can't believe he did that) - more than $1200 later we got the results that he did not have liver shunt but probably MVD so he wanted to do a biopsy two days later.

It was all too fast and I had the feeling this Vet was not helping, just seeing dollar signs so we went back to our regular vet and just started him on prescription meds.

To make a very very long journey much shorter, we decided to treat holistically and never ended up doing the biopsy. Enzo continued to have seizures but in 2011 improved on homeopathic medicine and I started to completely home cook for him. He was still throwing up but itching did improve. He started to regress after a year and half of homeopathic treatment so I started seeking alternatives. Upon suggestion of a friend I met on a forum, I contacted Dr. Kreusi at Cold River Vet Center in Vermont who super analyzes the complete panel blood tests to find insufficiencies. The good news is that all of Enzo's levels were normal but some were low-normal. I started him on supplements and he gave me new recipes to try making - I was thrilled as I never had a set recipe from my other vet, just ideas of what meats and veggies to choose.

Enzo did not improve with the supplements though and in the mean time I found our lifesaver on the internet - Dr. Pamela Scerba of Holistic Vet Center in Clifton Park, NY - I am two hours away from her office. Dr. Scerba specializes in Chinese Medicine and when we met she examined Enzo and diagnosed him as "fire" and also told me the foods to stay away from - all the meats I was given Enzo! About two years before, we had also done an allergy test so I knew what meats and food he was allergic to. She then told me about doing chiropractic adjustments and laser treatment. Enzo's atlas (part of neck) was very "out of whack" for lack of better explanation and she told me she sees this often in seizure dogs. I did not understand what she meant about the laser treatment but I soon found out. Enzo was the first "Seizure" dog she treated with it but was treating other animals with a variety of ailments. The laser treatment works at the cellular level to promote healing - it does not hurt at all, probably just feels warm. Enzo stands very still during the 5 minute treatment and does not act like it bothers him whatsoever. I also had recently started feeding him fish (haddock, cod or hake), frozen oriental vegetables and quinoa (and olive oil and sea salt!) and sardine for fish oil. He also started on a chinese herbal supplement. Miracles have occurred - he has been seizure free since February 20, 2012 - his itching has greatly improved and he stopped throwing up! I am thrilled beyond words. His treatment takes a lot of time and effort but it is so worth it.

Since Enzo does surely have some form of MVD, I wanted to tell you about him. There are great alternatives out there - do not be afraid to look at different options. Laser treatment and adjustments may work wonders for your dog's tremors but I wanted to tell you my story too just in case they turn into seizures. Why the seizures started in Enzo, we will never know - vaccines, allergies, MVD? I am thankful everyday that Enzo is doing so well - will be 7 in November - he is the most wonderful dog you could ever have.

Please take a look at the Erchonia laser website to see if there are any vets near you as well as possible chiropractic treatment. Cosmetic and Medical Laser Equipment | Low Level and Cold Laser

Just reading this whole thread now and just wanted to say that I'm so happy for you!

Thank you :) I will update shortly ;)

Wow! Thanks for sharing! I'll be on the lookout and I am looking for alternatives and answers :)

Thanks ;)

Thanks a million YT's
 

The vet from Cornell called yesterday with the rest of the tests results and...nothing, no signs of anything wrong with Nicky :confused:

No signs of MVD or IBS either. It's got me confused. The vet said to keep that journal and videotape him and call her in a couple of weeks with updates of how Nicky's doing.

I already started the journal, but he hasn't done much except for Sunday morning. He trembled a little bit, hb didn't notice it and said that maybe it's just that Nicky gets so exited on weekends because he knows we're going out in the car.

I mentioned this to the vet and the fact that Nicky hadn't eaten anything yet. She said maybe those two things had something to do with it and to zero in on it. I videotaped it but I can't upload it yet to my pc (file is huge). But on the camcorder, you can barely see him trembling and hb says I'm the one shaking.

I know I didn't imagine it and Nicky's bile test result were high, so I don't know what to think.

:thinking: You know, I'm not religious by any stretch of the word, at all. If fact I considered myself open for debate with one foot on my Roman-Catholic upbringing and the other on the agnostic side. But this is weird and I don't know what to make of it or if related. While I was at the reception area at Cornell waiting for bad news, I wondered why there's no chapel in this hospital and I thought there should be one like there's one at a human's (at least there was one at the one I went to when I was a kid).

I wanted to go there and just sit there for a while to cry alone. About a month before our appointment at Cornell, I had read about a church in NY that not only allowed pets at mass, but had a special day for blessing them. They also have events to help pets in need, etc. Being that I support, patronage and encourage these type of efforts, I decided to go with my furkids.

We listen to mass and when it was over, everybody gathered outside in the yard in order to follow into another room for refreshments and so on. Everyone came over to welcome us and they were so nice to my babies I thought, 'if they don't push religion down my throat, I can like it here.'

While I was outside talking with some of the congregation, hb went inside and told the priest (or preacher?) about our situation with Nicky. The priest came outside, blessed my babies and said he would do a prayer for Nicky so that everything would turn out fine.

Fast-forward to me sitting at the reception area at Cornell. I was close to desperate, imagining the worst and trying to prepare for it. So, I asked St Francis to please, help the doctors give me back my baby healthy and and happy (should he need surgery, which I was sure he would) and I promise that I would go back to that church to personally thank him, I would listen and take part in the mass and I would do it the first weekend after good news and nothing would stop me. No delays. No excuses. Not long after that the vet came out whispering 'loud' (if you can picture that), "no shunt, no shunt, no shunt!" :hands:

I took her excitement as she being surprised too (???) I didn't ask, I didn't care. I just couldn't believe it and I was ecstatic, crying and happy. Kissing my stoned, high and drugged with Anestassia baby.

That week I had family members coming from Spain and Florida visiting other family members in NY and NJ, I was supposed to at least stop by and say hello. I had explained my situation and had given my word that I would try my best to be there some time that week, but I would definitely make an effort to make it on the weekend :xfingers:

I couldn't make it :embar: I was upstate for a few days that week and I went to mass on that weekend. My family don't believe me, since I would never go to mass, I don't go to church and they can't bring themselves to understand why my puppies are so important to me, let alone that I would do all this for them :facepalm:

I'm so happy my babies are fine, I don't care if they don't get it :animal36

Just had to tell you, the people who were there for me and understand why I would do anything for my babies :yorkieg: Because you've been there, you've done that :thumbup:

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!:ghug: