TinysMom
Well-Known Member
I just want to put this out there for other folks on the forum to know about and maybe more dogs' lives will be saved.
A little over 6 weeks ago, a puppy was dropped off in the ditch across the road from us - around midnight on a Sunday night/Monday morning. Robin heard him crying and brought him in.
We took him to the vet that Thursday where he had his first shot and the vet figured that he was probably around 6 weeks old.
Ten days later - he started having neurological problems. We thought he was hypoglycemic and when we took him to the vet for his 9 week checkup they thought it was a possibility because they hadn't seen him stumbling around and I couldn't explain it well. He received his second set of shots.
Five days later we had a crisis and rushed him to the vet. From the way he was acting - it was decided that he might have a liver shunt. The bloodwork didn't quite match up - but the actions did. (We found out later that he might have been dehydrated which would have thrown off some of the numbers).
The vet basically told us that Oreo would have to see a specialist and we'd probably spend a lot of money doing tests that probably wouldn't show us much and that he could have surgery but it would be thousands of dollars.
I cried on the way home - to the point that I almost lost control of the car because I was crying so hard.
That night I started doing research and found a group on yahoogroups that is made up of many people who deal with liver disease in their dogs (and some rescues that help dogs with liver shunts and other liver problerms).
They recommended a food that Oreo needed to be put on (for liver disease) and the vet refused to prescribe it - so we found a new vet that would work with us.
Oreo now gets approximately 6 meals per day - which at his current weight and protein limits - is made of 21 kibbles of his food plus some PediaSure and applesauce. The applesauce is for extra calories that are not from protein (he could also have goat yogurt). He is being placed on special supplements and vitamins and even antibiotics and we will be doing his bloodwork again in about a month.
We are not 100% sure that it is a shunt - it could be something else (I forget the name right off).
I'm sharing a sample protocol routine here to show you what it is like...remember - it is only a sample - it is not his routine...
As he grows he will get more food and as he can handle the current amount of protein per his weight - the % of protein he's allowed will increase also. He will probably top out around 14 or 15 pounds....and his special food and medicines and supplements will probably run around $50 per month (maybe less).
So why am I writing all this?
Because I want people to know this...
A DIAGNOSIS OF LIVER SHUNT OR ANOTHER LIVER DISEASE DOES NOT NEED TO MEAN THAT THE DOG HAS TO BE PUT DOWN. SOMETIMES THEY CAN LIVE GOOD LIVES SIMPLY BY MANAGING THEIR FOOD AND USING SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS, ETC.
Some of the members on the list I'm on ([email protected]) have managed their dogs' conditions for years with proper diet and treatment. Some choose to have surgery - with some dogs - it is a case of an inoperable shunt - but they still can do fine.
Also - please remember before you get a dog - to research the breed carefully for problems like this. If I remember right - Yorkshire Terriers are something like 36 times more likely to have liver shunts than other dogs.
In addition, it is important to note that vaccinations can cause liver problems - especially with the small dogs when they get certain shots. I wish now that we'd not let Oreo get his first shot as many dogs will start having bad reactions around 10 days after they get their shot (just as he did).
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this......
A little over 6 weeks ago, a puppy was dropped off in the ditch across the road from us - around midnight on a Sunday night/Monday morning. Robin heard him crying and brought him in.
We took him to the vet that Thursday where he had his first shot and the vet figured that he was probably around 6 weeks old.
Ten days later - he started having neurological problems. We thought he was hypoglycemic and when we took him to the vet for his 9 week checkup they thought it was a possibility because they hadn't seen him stumbling around and I couldn't explain it well. He received his second set of shots.
Five days later we had a crisis and rushed him to the vet. From the way he was acting - it was decided that he might have a liver shunt. The bloodwork didn't quite match up - but the actions did. (We found out later that he might have been dehydrated which would have thrown off some of the numbers).
The vet basically told us that Oreo would have to see a specialist and we'd probably spend a lot of money doing tests that probably wouldn't show us much and that he could have surgery but it would be thousands of dollars.
I cried on the way home - to the point that I almost lost control of the car because I was crying so hard.
That night I started doing research and found a group on yahoogroups that is made up of many people who deal with liver disease in their dogs (and some rescues that help dogs with liver shunts and other liver problerms).
They recommended a food that Oreo needed to be put on (for liver disease) and the vet refused to prescribe it - so we found a new vet that would work with us.
Oreo now gets approximately 6 meals per day - which at his current weight and protein limits - is made of 21 kibbles of his food plus some PediaSure and applesauce. The applesauce is for extra calories that are not from protein (he could also have goat yogurt). He is being placed on special supplements and vitamins and even antibiotics and we will be doing his bloodwork again in about a month.
We are not 100% sure that it is a shunt - it could be something else (I forget the name right off).
I'm sharing a sample protocol routine here to show you what it is like...remember - it is only a sample - it is not his routine...
As he grows he will get more food and as he can handle the current amount of protein per his weight - the % of protein he's allowed will increase also. He will probably top out around 14 or 15 pounds....and his special food and medicines and supplements will probably run around $50 per month (maybe less).
So why am I writing all this?
Because I want people to know this...
A DIAGNOSIS OF LIVER SHUNT OR ANOTHER LIVER DISEASE DOES NOT NEED TO MEAN THAT THE DOG HAS TO BE PUT DOWN. SOMETIMES THEY CAN LIVE GOOD LIVES SIMPLY BY MANAGING THEIR FOOD AND USING SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS, ETC.
Some of the members on the list I'm on ([email protected]) have managed their dogs' conditions for years with proper diet and treatment. Some choose to have surgery - with some dogs - it is a case of an inoperable shunt - but they still can do fine.
Also - please remember before you get a dog - to research the breed carefully for problems like this. If I remember right - Yorkshire Terriers are something like 36 times more likely to have liver shunts than other dogs.
In addition, it is important to note that vaccinations can cause liver problems - especially with the small dogs when they get certain shots. I wish now that we'd not let Oreo get his first shot as many dogs will start having bad reactions around 10 days after they get their shot (just as he did).
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this......
