Advice with Liver Shunt & MVD

[Rocky38]

Hello all,

Here's the scoop on poor lil Rocky.

Rocky was born on October 12, 2007... I purchased him from Puppy Petite.. AKA The Puppy Boutique in Brooklyn NY, on December 15, 2007.
Rocky has and is always energetic, friendly, smart...no symptoms of anything.

On December 25, 2009 around 5 am, I woke up to find Rocky in the beginning stages of a seizure... after about a minute he was back to normal, to where I rushed him to the Emergency Animal clinic in NYC. His blood work came back and they suspected Rocky to have a Liver Shunt. Two days later we did further testing at our Family Vet.. which included the Bile Acid Test. A few days after we went back to the Animal Clinic in NYC to perform an ultrasound, which confirmed our suspicions of the Liver Shunt.

The specialist provided me with a homemade diet, and a prescription of metronidazole and lactulose.. Rocky's body did not respond well to the metronidazole in which i immediately ceased.. He was showing signs of lethargy, loss of appetite.. basically he was limp in my arms. Upon calling the specialist she proceeded to tell me that this may be his normal state since his levels are starting to even out.. Sorry I didn't buy that.. There is no way any dog who was full of life is supposed to normally be limp!

I continued to do my own research.. and through yorkietalk I was told to contact Dr. Susan Center who is located at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY (4 hours away from where I live) .. I scheduled an appointment with her and they performed a 3D catscan on Rocky on MLK weekend of 2010. The scan showed Rocky's Liver shunt.. very weird and cool that you can actually see his insides in 3D. They gave me the low down on the surgery, however I was a little hesitant because his vena cava was dilated at the time. (Usually happens because of the shunt)

Basically, Since December I've been feeding Rocky with Hill L/D.. and he gained about 9 ounces and has been fine.. However, I didnt want Rocky to live a life of that food and fear of seizures, or any other signs that may eventually develop due to the shunt.

On August 3, 2010, I took Rocky to LIVS on Long Island in NY for a consultation about the surgery.. Again I was hesitant because it's a scary feeling.. But the way Rocky responded to the surgeon.. Dr. Marino.. was amazing.. So I took that as a sign from Rocky that he was ok to have this man operate on him. And I must say the dr was great with him.. I felt at ease..

The surgery was performed that same evening.. The Dr. called me as soon as he was out of the operating room to inform me of the surgery.. He had to stay in the hospital for 4 days.. Very difficult 4 days for me.. I've never really been apart from Rocky for even a day..

During the surgery, they took a biopsy of his liver and his bladder.. (he had some tiny stones.. so they performed a cystotomy as well) Bladder is ok.. however his liver biopsy shows that Rocky also has MVD. Ugh! He has to stay on this diet forever, and the fear of those shunt symptoms will forever be with me.. I almost feel as if I put Rocky through this surgery just to have the same fears and worries.

I'm extremely angry.. at the breeder for bringing a dog into this world who has these types of problems.. MVD is hereditary and she really should not be breeding her dogs.. She should be fined or locked up.. It's animal cruelty.. I apologize .. i'm venting here. Anyhow, maybe someone can help me.. I want this person as well as the Puppy Boutique to be put out of business. I would also like for them to assist in the payments.. I've spent well over 10,000 in the past 7 months.. And I would pay as much as I would have to inorder to keep him healthy.. It is sad and unfair that anyone would allow any living breathing creature to enter this world to suffer... knowing that it could have been prevented!

Obviously he showed no signs within the first year, I don't know what the next step is.. if anyone has any advice for me i would really appreciate it..


BTW.. Rocky has been home for 4 days now, he's still somewhat sleepy and is experiencing a lot of pain when urinating.. (he cries when he tries ) I cant wait till he's running around jumping on me and barking to play again!

Thanks for reading and sorry so long..

Dee

[107barney]

It seems as though you are asking for legal advice. I think you should contact a lawyer locally to see if you have some recourse.

If it makes you feel any better at all, MVD is very manageable. My dog is going to be 10 in September and she does wonderfully on a home cooked diet. Her liver has improved to the point that her blood work is normal (her postprandial bile acids were 107 to start and are now 13). Unfortunately, our breed is 36x more likely than any other breed to develop a liver shunt/MVD situation. I don't know about the pUppy boutique or the breeder, but if you are like many of us, you bought a dog or obtained a dog from a person who didn't care about our breed and only cared about the money. You're right, it borders on being cruel to not care and to exploit animals in this way. I have let go of my own anger over the years and care only for my dog now. Rocky picked you for a reason, you sound like a wonderful and caring owner. He's very lucky to have you for his human.

Originally Posted by Rocky38

Hello all,

Here's the scoop on poor lil Rocky.

Rocky was born on October 12, 2007... I purchased him from Puppy Petite.. AKA The Puppy Boutique in Brooklyn NY, on December 15, 2007.
Rocky has and is always energetic, friendly, smart...no symptoms of anything.

On December 25, 2009 around 5 am, I woke up to find Rocky in the beginning stages of a seizure... after about a minute he was back to normal, to where I rushed him to the Emergency Animal clinic in NYC. His blood work came back and they suspected Rocky to have a Liver Shunt. Two days later we did further testing at our Family Vet.. which included the Bile Acid Test. A few days after we went back to the Animal Clinic in NYC to perform an ultrasound, which confirmed our suspicions of the Liver Shunt.

The specialist provided me with a homemade diet, and a prescription of metronidazole and lactulose.. Rocky's body did not respond well to the metronidazole in which i immediately ceased.. He was showing signs of lethargy, loss of appetite.. basically he was limp in my arms. Upon calling the specialist she proceeded to tell me that this may be his normal state since his levels are starting to even out.. Sorry I didn't buy that.. There is no way any dog who was full of life is supposed to normally be limp!

I continued to do my own research.. and through yorkietalk I was told to contact Dr. Susan Center who is located at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY (4 hours away from where I live) .. I scheduled an appointment with her and they performed a 3D catscan on Rocky on MLK weekend of 2010. The scan showed Rocky's Liver shunt.. very weird and cool that you can actually see his insides in 3D. They gave me the low down on the surgery, however I was a little hesitant because his vena cava was dilated at the time. (Usually happens because of the shunt)

Basically, Since December I've been feeding Rocky with Hill L/D.. and he gained about 9 ounces and has been fine.. However, I didnt want Rocky to live a life of that food and fear of seizures, or any other signs that may eventually develop due to the shunt.

On August 3, 2010, I took Rocky to LIVS on Long Island in NY for a consultation about the surgery.. Again I was hesitant because it's a scary feeling.. But the way Rocky responded to the surgeon.. Dr. Marino.. was amazing.. So I took that as a sign from Rocky that he was ok to have this man operate on him. And I must say the dr was great with him.. I felt at ease..

The surgery was performed that same evening.. The Dr. called me as soon as he was out of the operating room to inform me of the surgery.. He had to stay in the hospital for 4 days.. Very difficult 4 days for me.. I've never really been apart from Rocky for even a day..

During the surgery, they took a biopsy of his liver and his bladder.. (he had some tiny stones.. so they performed a cystotomy as well) Bladder is ok.. however his liver biopsy shows that Rocky also has MVD. Ugh! He has to stay on this diet forever, and the fear of those shunt symptoms will forever be with me.. I almost feel as if I put Rocky through this surgery just to have the same fears and worries.

I'm extremely angry.. at the breeder for bringing a dog into this world who has these types of problems.. MVD is hereditary and she really should not be breeding her dogs.. She should be fined or locked up.. It's animal cruelty.. I apologize .. i'm venting here. Anyhow, maybe someone can help me.. I want this person as well as the Puppy Boutique to be put out of business. I would also like for them to assist in the payments.. I've spent well over 10,000 in the past 7 months.. And I would pay as much as I would have to inorder to keep him healthy.. It is sad and unfair that anyone would allow any living breathing creature to enter this world to suffer... knowing that it could have been prevented!

Obviously he showed no signs within the first year, I don't know what the next step is.. if anyone has any advice for me i would really appreciate it..


BTW.. Rocky has been home for 4 days now, he's still somewhat sleepy and is experiencing a lot of pain when urinating.. (he cries when he tries ) I cant wait till he's running around jumping on me and barking to play again!

Thanks for reading and sorry so long..

Dee

[Lizzie07]

I'm so sorry to hear about Rocky. I hope he recovers quickly and becomes your happy little baby again.

I'm afraid the best you might be able to do at this point is learn from what has happened. It is so important to research the breeder to find someone who cares about breeding healthy dogs and not just trying to make money. Pet stores, IMO are the worse place to buy a dog. The animals are just inventory to them.

[Rocky38]

Thanks for responding..
When I see Rocky sad it makes me angry at these irresponsible people.

I've been doing a lot of research.. but Barney you mentioned a homemade diet..
Do you mind passing along a recipe.. Rocky doesnt seem to be as interested in the Hills L/D lately so I was looking around for something to entice him more..

[kjcmsw]

I'm not saying the breeder didn't breed willy-nilly and irresponsibly as I don't know...but can't liver shunt just pop up now and then? I thought I read that on one of the breeder's postings. If so, that probably doesn't make you feel any better about your poor little guy's ills, but maybe knowing it was a fluke and not the fault of the breeder will help.

[Ladymom]

Originally Posted by Lizzie07

I'm so sorry to hear about Rocky. I hope he recovers quickly and becomes your happy little baby again.

I'm afraid the best you might be able to do at this point is learn from what has happened. It is so important to research the breeder to find someone who cares about breeding healthy dogs and not just trying to make money. Pet stores, IMO are the worse place to buy a dog. The animals are just inventory to them.

I agree.

Also, all Yorkies should have a bile acids test once they reach 16 weeks old according to Dr.Center. If you had done that, most likely the health guarantee from the pet store would have covered his condition since liver shunts are congenital.

According to a study done at the University of Tennessee, Yorkies are 36 times more likely to be born with a liver shunt than all other breeds combined. Anyone looking to purchase a Yorkie needs to be very, very careful when selecting their breeder and make sure that the puppy has a bile acids test before he comes homes or right at 16 weeks (with a clause in the contract addressing the breeder's financial responsible should the results be abnormal.)

Hopefully by sharing Rocky's story, more people will get that BAT done right away.

[Rocky38]

True ... Shunts aren't necessarily hereditary.. But Mvd is...
And unfortunately it's not something that's cureable although it is manageable...

Originally Posted by kjcmsw

I'm not saying the breeder didn't breed willy-nilly and irresponsibly as I don't know...but can't liver shunt just pop up now and then? I thought I read that on one of the breeder's postings. If so, that probably doesn't make you feel any better about your poor little guy's ills, but maybe knowing it was a fluke and not the fault of the breeder will help.

[Rocky38]

I hope people do read this and learn from it.... Had I known then the things j know now....I'm trying to get my friend to do the BAT on her pup as well... We got them the same time from the same place! Her baby seems fine and she doesn't feel compelled to do it.... But it's important to understand that ESP w mvd symptoms may not arise til they are older .... I recommend anyone w a yorkie to have it done if they haven't so already.

Originally Posted by Ladymom

I agree.

Also, all Yorkies should have a bile acids test once they reach 16 weeks old according to Dr.Center. If you had done that, most likely the health guarantee from the pet store would have covered his condition since liver shunts are congenital.

According to a study done at the University of Tennessee, Yorkies are 36 times more likely to be born with a liver shunt than all other breeds combined. Anyone looking to purchase a Yorkie needs to be very, very careful when selecting their breeder and make sure that the puppy has a bile acids test before he comes homes or right at 16 weeks (with a clause in the contract addressing the breeder's financial responsible should the results be abnormal.)

Hopefully by sharing Rocky's story, more people will get that BAT done right away.

[Roccosmommy]

Sending hugs and prayers for Rocky's speedy recovery.

[Micah my love]

I am so sorry that this baby has to go through all this and for you, I have already been there done that so i know exactly how you feel. hugs to you & your sweet baby

[107barney]

Originally Posted by Rocky38

Thanks for responding..
When I see Rocky sad it makes me angry at these irresponsible people.

I've been doing a lot of research.. but Barney you mentioned a homemade diet..
Do you mind passing along a recipe.. Rocky doesnt seem to be as interested in the Hills L/D lately so I was looking around for something to entice him more..

The diet my dog is on is formulated specifically for her. if you want the name of the vet nutritionist who treats my dog, just PM me.

[manolos mom]

Originally Posted by Rocky38

Hello all,

Here's the scoop on poor lil Rocky.

Rocky was born on October 12, 2007... I purchased him from Puppy Petite.. AKA The Puppy Boutique in Brooklyn NY, on December 15, 2007.
Rocky has and is always energetic, friendly, smart...no symptoms of anything.

On December 25, 2009 around 5 am, I woke up to find Rocky in the beginning stages of a seizure... after about a minute he was back to normal, to where I rushed him to the Emergency Animal clinic in NYC. His blood work came back and they suspected Rocky to have a Liver Shunt. Two days later we did further testing at our Family Vet.. which included the Bile Acid Test. A few days after we went back to the Animal Clinic in NYC to perform an ultrasound, which confirmed our suspicions of the Liver Shunt.

The specialist provided me with a homemade diet, and a prescription of metronidazole and lactulose.. Rocky's body did not respond well to the metronidazole in which i immediately ceased.. He was showing signs of lethargy, loss of appetite.. basically he was limp in my arms. Upon calling the specialist she proceeded to tell me that this may be his normal state since his levels are starting to even out.. Sorry I didn't buy that.. There is no way any dog who was full of life is supposed to normally be limp!

I continued to do my own research.. and through yorkietalk I was told to contact Dr. Susan Center who is located at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY (4 hours away from where I live) .. I scheduled an appointment with her and they performed a 3D catscan on Rocky on MLK weekend of 2010. The scan showed Rocky's Liver shunt.. very weird and cool that you can actually see his insides in 3D. They gave me the low down on the surgery, however I was a little hesitant because his vena cava was dilated at the time. (Usually happens because of the shunt)

Basically, Since December I've been feeding Rocky with Hill L/D.. and he gained about 9 ounces and has been fine.. However, I didnt want Rocky to live a life of that food and fear of seizures, or any other signs that may eventually develop due to the shunt.

On August 3, 2010, I took Rocky to LIVS on Long Island in NY for a consultation about the surgery.. Again I was hesitant because it's a scary feeling.. But the way Rocky responded to the surgeon.. Dr. Marino.. was amazing.. So I took that as a sign from Rocky that he was ok to have this man operate on him. And I must say the dr was great with him.. I felt at ease..

The surgery was performed that same evening.. The Dr. called me as soon as he was out of the operating room to inform me of the surgery.. He had to stay in the hospital for 4 days.. Very difficult 4 days for me.. I've never really been apart from Rocky for even a day..

During the surgery, they took a biopsy of his liver and his bladder.. (he had some tiny stones.. so they performed a cystotomy as well) Bladder is ok.. however his liver biopsy shows that Rocky also has MVD. Ugh! He has to stay on this diet forever, and the fear of those shunt symptoms will forever be with me.. I almost feel as if I put Rocky through this surgery just to have the same fears and worries.

I'm extremely angry.. at the breeder for bringing a dog into this world who has these types of problems.. MVD is hereditary and she really should not be breeding her dogs.. She should be fined or locked up.. It's animal cruelty.. I apologize .. i'm venting here. Anyhow, maybe someone can help me.. I want this person as well as the Puppy Boutique to be put out of business. I would also like for them to assist in the payments.. I've spent well over 10,000 in the past 7 months.. And I would pay as much as I would have to inorder to keep him healthy.. It is sad and unfair that anyone would allow any living breathing creature to enter this world to suffer... knowing that it could have been prevented!

Obviously he showed no signs within the first year, I don't know what the next step is.. if anyone has any advice for me i would really appreciate it..


BTW.. Rocky has been home for 4 days now, he's still somewhat sleepy and is experiencing a lot of pain when urinating.. (he cries when he tries ) I cant wait till he's running around jumping on me and barking to play again!

Thanks for reading and sorry so long..

Dee

Dee, I am impressed by your dedication and research. You are truly Rocky's Hero. I would be seeking legal advise about this Breeder who probably will continue to breed dogs with shunts. You need to put a nip in his buisness. Good Luck to you and Rocky and please keep us updated. You are a terrific Yorkie mom!!!

[Lizzie07]

Originally Posted by Rocky38

True ... Shunts aren't necessarily hereditary.. But Mvd is...
And unfortunately it's not something that's cureable although it is manageable...

I thought both shunts and mvd were hereditary? Are you sure?

[BFar]

So sorry about what you and Rocky have been through. But it seems like you believe you got Rocky from a breeder. You did not. Puppy Boutique in Brooklyn is a pet store which does not get puppies from reputable breeders. How do I know this? There is not one single reputable breeder that sells her pups to a pet store. Not one. This does not make Rocky any less precious but people have got to realize the difference between a pet store and a Yorkie breeder. I have heard great things about that vet in LI.

[Ringo1]

I hope you can manage Rocky's MVD with diet and medication if necessary and so sorry you have been through all of this.

All of us that have 'liver challenged' dogs worry about the future and what it might hold; and constantly monitor their diet, as well as look for symptoms and worry about those too!

Lucy has MVD that we manage with a low protein diet - actually a medium to low protein diet and she is happy and healthy so far.

Fingers crossed for you.