My 8month beagle pup has a liver shunt has anyone else went through this experience with their dog?

Answer 1

i had a rescue westie with a liver shunt, he is now 12, and doing ok
he had a surgery to "fix it" which basically entailed tying off the bad vessel so the good one can get stronger

its expensive and risky but it saved this puppy, and he found a great home with people who love him so much

Answer 2

I am the owner of the Yorkie Mozey was talking about who had a liver shunt operation last August. He was very poorly ever since he was a small pup and was taken to the vet many, many times until we were told the only answer was for him to have a scan in The ASnimal Health Trust in Newmarket. It was diagnosed then that he had to have the operation so at 11 months he had it done and since then he has put on weight and has so much energy he could out run a cheater!!! I hope your little dog is doing well and can now eat normal food. We have been advised to feed him half Hepatic dog food and half ordinary dog food as long as it is low in fat and low in protein. They suggested we feed him on either Iams or Burns. He mostly eats Hepatic which we get from the vet but he also enjoys the Burns chicken as a mixer. I hope this helps and if you have any concerns please Eamil me.

Answer 3

I work with animals and this is a particularly nasty condition. If surgery is an option, then maybe he stands a good chance, otherwise, he is a very poorly pup.

A liver shunt, basically means that the blood from the intestines does not go to the liver like it is meant to, to get filtered out and the nutrients, so the dog does not grow and develop properly and gets weak. The option to sure this is surgery to rejoin the blood vessels from the intestine to the liver, otherwise there is not a good outlook.

I wish you both luck

Answer 4

A dear friend of mine (made over the Internet!) and also a Yahoo member, has a Yorkie still recovering from surgery for this condition. It's a while since he had the operation but he really seems to be coming along in leaps and bounds! He was put on a special hepatic diet from Burns and now he's able to eat quite normally.

I can remember how distressed my friend was in the early stages of her dog's problems. He was misdiagnosed, tested for all sorts, and, I believe, even treated for epilepsy! He had awful fits and seizures ... until he was referred to the veterinary specialist unit at Newmarket. He had exactly what your dog had. He underwent the surgery, and now he's cured!

I am sure your dog will now lead a normal healthy life. Should it be sick or off-colour at any time, try to treat it just as that and don't become paranoid. Your troubles will be a thing of the past! All the best to you and your beagle.

Answer 5

Hello there
Hepatic portal shunts are a congenital illness (born with it)
I have seen alot of animals over the years with this as i work as a vet nurse. I pressume you have taken advsie from your vet surgeon as this can be a serious illness and needs surgery. Toxins that are broken down in the liver bypass this and end up going around in the circulation.
Let me know how you get on