My yorkie needs Liver Shunt surgery

[OliviaAMCheek]

Hi everyone, I would like to introduce you to my sweet baby Lady. She is a 3.5-pound Yorkshire terrier who recently celebrated her third birthday! Lady became a member of my family when she was just 6 months old where she stole my heart with her spunky fun-loving attitude and strength.
Since the time I got Lady she has had many health issues. About 2 years ago we began what has become a lengthy process. My puppy started getting urinary tract infections regularly. After a few vet visits we began to think it may be something more than a simple infections. The vet felt her stomach and found a stone. The vet then recommended I feed her a food that would dissolve her stones. After the recommended time eating this prescribed food my poor puppy continued to get urinary tract infections. So I decided to go forth and have a bladder stone surgery done. After the surgery was over I was informed that she had SIX ammonium urate stones.

It is unusual to find this type of stone in a yorkie; in fact they are normally in Dalmatians. Due to the type of stones Lady had we began a series of blood work test, getting second opinions to confirm the numbers. Each time they came back with her results her liver number were off the charts. The normal rate was between 10 and 20, hers came back to be in the 600’s. I was then referred to an internal specialist.

I walked into the Internal specialists office with high hopes and an optimistic attitude, hoping that it would be a simple fix. Unfortunately the doctor gave me the worst news she could; In order to save Lady’s life she will have to undergo liver shunt surgery. A liver shunt is a genetic disorder that is extremely dangerous for any breed but especially with the small nature of a yorkie. The size of Lady’s shunt has caused her to only be an advocate for surgery meaning that medication cannot control her shunt. Without the surgery Lady’s liver will continue to shrink in size, her kidneys will continue to enlarge, seizures will become a prevalent part of her life with pneumonia and other illness causing her to suffer until this shunt takes her life.
I am a 19-year-old college student who works part time while going to school. I am working towards my nursing degree and unfortunately cannot afford this life saving surgery for Lady on my own. I know my little warrior can get through this and have many beautiful years ahead of her all she needs is a little help.

[Yorkiemom1]

I am so sorry for the mess you find yourself in with this baby....it is heartbreaking. There will be many posts following with wonderful suggestions on different avenues for applying for credit.....I am not familiar with these alternatives but there are many on here that can give you the names and suggestions on different sources of help for you and your baby. Praying you can get a suggestion that will help you get this little pup help she needs. Have you consulted with a vet school in your area? Who are you considering for the surgical intervention? You are in Virginia.....If any of my dogs ever needed this surgery, I would be crawling over broken glass to get to Dr.Tobias at the University of Tennessee, who has been on the forefront of surgical intervention for this disease in Yorkies. Good luck with your endeavor for treatment for your baby....there are many alternatives for financial help.....CareCredit is one I have read about on YT.....It is difficult, I know....years ago, I have had to hock jewelry and sold stuff in garage sales to pay for animals that I had that needed medical care......good luck with your search for some financial aid for your pup.....GoFundMe seems to be a site where a lot of people go for financial help too....

[gemy]

First I am so sorry you and your gal are going through this - and it appears you only found us this month. Liver shunt is quite common in Yorkies and there is an easy Bile Acids Test which can be done at both 16 wks old and 6mths old to test the function of the liver. One symptom of course is repetitive UTI;s.

Here is a link to a stickey in our library about help for vet bills: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sic...vet-bills.html

The GoFundMe area is one that many folks do use with success. You can also network with in your nursing school for donations for help in treating your gal. University of Tennessee is where I would go as well for the surgery. Maybe they might have an option for you for reduced surgery costs for compassionate reasons. I have truly no ideas about if they do or do not.

There is of course selling everything of value you own on Ebay - networking for funds from your family and friends.....

I wish you much luck in raising the funds needed.