Just found out my baby probably has liver shunt

[Cocoroni]

I bought and took home my little yorkie July 5th. She was born April 10th of this year. I had been looking for a yorkie for a little over 6 months before I found her. I did everything I could to buy from a good breeder and become familiar with the dog that was going to become a new member of my family. She weighed 1 lb. 4 oz. when I took her home. Yes, she is very small, her sister is too. It wasn't my plan to get such a small yorkie, but that's what ended up happening and there is nothing I can about that now. I love her and will do everything and anything I can to give her a happy and healthy life. The breeder I bought her from does not have a history of breeding liver shunt puppies ... I truly believe my Cocoroni's liver shunt was just that fluke. From what I understand yorkies can still get the shunt without anyone else in the line having one.

I'm going to go back to how I came to know she has a liver shunt.
Little Cocoroni has never been a great dog food eater ... the breeder was giving her ground up Lifes Abundance. She was not eating this at all for me, so I tried different flavors of Fromm, she didn't eat these either. She would eat freshly boiled boneless skinless chicken breasts though ... so I made her this a lot. And then by oral syringe fed her brown rice/chicken baby food, and rebound which is an awesome electrolyte drink made for dogs. I also gave her nautical a few times a day. I wanted to make sure she didn't have a hypoglycemic attack. I even wake up every few hours in the middle of night to feed her to make sure she doesn't go too long without food.
Well..... one day she started being wobbly ... disoriented ... dizzy ... so I immediately thought, OMG, her blood sugar is down ... so I kept feeding her and feeding her ... I gave her baby cereal/rice mixed with milk and karo syrup, nutria-cal, baby food. But her wobbliness just got worse and worse. Finally I took her to e.r. for animals .... it was around 10 at night. The Dr. told me she had liver shunt .. now she told me this without doing any tests for it ... and she didn't explain to me why she felt this way ... and from what I knew that was merely an assumption since she didn't have signs before this. Also, her blood sugar when they tested it was at 259 ... but i thought it was high because I had been giving her nutri cal and karo syrup. I was an emotional wreck and called my boyfriend who had just left out of the country that day for work. He told me to call the breeder so I did ... she told me it was hypoglycemia and to take her to her house right away .... so I told the dr at er I wanted my dog and wanted to leave ... after an hour I got her back (they don't let you go in room with them, which I think is weird!!!) and the dr told me she has a liver shunt and is going to die if I don't leave her there. I didn't trust this dr.... but I don't want to go into that because that is not the point of this ...I told her I was taking her to breeder for help. I left and took Cocoroni to the breeder about hour away ... she was lifeless at this point ... I stayed there with her all night and we nursed her back to health ... it took about five days until the wobbliness and bobble head was completely gone. I started to think that a liver shunt could be possible now too because it had taken her so long to recover ... it didn't make sense to me. I left her at breeder to get better ... it was like being at hospital, I hated to leave her but if she'd get better there I wanted her there. She did get better. I saw a Dr. for an appointment with just her and myself just to ask questions.... I wanted to make sure Cocoroni was being treated for what was really going on ... hyperglycemia or liver shunt. She told me to have her blood work taken and bile acids tested. So I pushed the breeder and told her I wanted it even though she didn't think it was the issue. I paid for the test too ... she just had a few days ago ... her bile acids were at 30. I now have her at home with me. I get nervous she is going to get low blood sugar so I think I am feeding her too much ... because she has been getting wobbly/dizzy again. I give her lactulose, but we are still trying to figure out the right dose. I also switched her dog food to hills a/d ...like the dr. said. She doesn't eat it on her own, but I syringe feed her. I am also giving her the rebound ... she did throw up quite a few times ... I think because of change in food and high toxin level from possibly being overfed. When she was at breeder she was acting better after those 5 days, but I think that's because she wasn't feeding her but 3 times a day ... so she wasn't getting such a high toxin level in her. I have now cut down her feeding. She now weighs between 1 lb 9 oz and 1 lb. 10 ozs. This week I am going to take her to hospital to get they dye test done ... but only if they don't use a heavy sedation to do it ... I don't think she can take much.
Also, I want the surgery for her, but I know it is best to wait until she is bigger and stronger. I am just afraid when she is so wobbly!!! I haven't left her alone ... I do have a one year health guarantee, but I am not using it. I love Cocoroni and would never trade her in. Since she has been vomiting, I am mainly giving her pedicure (van. milkshake flavor- 2 ccs at time mixed with 1 cc of food) and 4 ccs of rebound. Since I have lowered her food intake, her wobbliness has gotten better. I am also praying that she has an extra hepatic shunt so it can be fixed!!

Any help or advice that you can share would be greatly appreciated! Especially if you have had a yorkie with a liver shunt.

Thank you so much and please keep her in your prayers. She is the sweetest little puppy.

[jencar98]

I'm so sorry your Cocoroni is having such problems. Were the bile acids results pre or post? You really need further evaluation to determine if this is liver shunt. Below is a link for a liver shunt Yahoo group, I would suggest you join for the knowledge and support.
DogLiverShuntandDisease : Dietary management of liver disease

Good luck and please keep us updated.

[Cocoroni]

Thank you for your reply Jencar98. Her bile acid level was at 30 during fasting.

The breeder had me convinced she had hypoglycemia ... so I was feeding her quite often ... every couple of hours. This was when she was most wobbly. Once I found out about her high bile acids and the dr said more than likely she had liver shunt, I started her on Hills A/D (which I'm not sure why this one because I would think Hills I/D should be used, but I am thinking it is because she is so small and not eating dog food on her own so this can be given by oral syringe) and lactulose. I give her about 1/2 cc every 8 hours. I am keeping a journal of everything I am feeding her ... as well as her weight ( I bought a digital scale). I am feeding her about every 7-8 hours now, but giving her Rebound about every 2-3 hours. She does drink on her own, but I want to make sure she gets the required amount. Since I started doing this about 2 days ago she has been great!!!! She has been running around and playing!! She is like a brand new puppy! She is not wobbly at all anymore either! I still plan to take her to get the MRI and dye intervenious test ... I just want her to gain a little more weight. The sedation is very hard on a puppy her size ... she weighs 1 lb 11.25 ozs. I would like for her to be closer to 2 lbs., or even better be 2 lbs.

Thank you so much for the link for that group too!!

[msyorktown]

poor baby I hope you get some answers, please keep us posted.

[aaronisgoodman]

I am sorry to hear that. I suggest you to take her to see a doctor, the doctor will think of a way to cure her. Be sure to choose a well-known good hospital. You can surf the Internet check treatment liver conditions.

[aaronisgoodman]

I am sorry to hear that. You should take her to see a doctor, go to a good hospital. You can check it on the Internet about the treatment of liver conditions. Hope will have the help to you.

[ladyjane]

This thread is from last year!