Liver shunt,
How I hate that phrase, because I have two little darling that have been diagnosed with the condition. I am not an expert on all the medical bits for that go to http://www.yorkierescue.com/livershunt/research2.html , or http://www.barkbytes.com/medical/med0050.htm , but I have lived and lost with this condition and I will try and share my experiences of it.
This is not just a Westie problem; I have heard of and or read about it in Yorkshire Terriers, Maltese, Dalmatians, Irish Wolf Hounds, Collies, to name but a few, you would be surprised at how this problem even though rarely heard of is I believe becoming a serious problem, in some dogs it is just an occasional occurrence due to other diseases, in others it is hereditary and/ or congenital this is caused by breeders ignorance and/or greed, the problem normally occurs if both the parents are carriers but being a carrier it is not something that can be tested for as far as I know. However it can be closely watched and regulated. This condition can pass undetected for many years and unless your vet has experience with liver shunts it is a very difficult, the only way of assuring it is by Bile Acid Tests.
Belle had multiple shunts a round dozen, but when I first suspected she was ill we went to the vets and nearly ended up arguing with him, (it wasn’t my normal vet) he was insistent that there was nothing wrong with her, he said it would be a waste of money have blood tests done as he was 99% certain nothing was wrong, but I knew my Belle and I just knew something was not right, so I told him do the tests, so he did, when they came back he apologised and asked how I knew to this day I don’t know how I knew but when you have that special bond you just know.
Whilst Jade was very lucky and had just a single shunt, discovered because I obviously knew about Belles condition and wanted to be sure, her’s could be operated on and now she has a normal life, but if I had not had both of them tested it is doubtful that either of them would have seen their 1st birthdays.
Belle was not so lucky she had too many to operate and could only be treated by medication, she has gone through a lot and now can rest in peace terribly missed.. Now don’t quote me on this but I will tell you everything that I know and please forgive any medical errors. The main thing is if you suspect a shunt you MUST see a Vet, it can only be treated by surgery and medication. I know, I looked for 3 years to find something to help my Belle, and there is nothing except conventional medicine that can treat it and then you must be aware that not all cases can be cured.
A Porto systemic shunt can be as with my girls a congenital condition or it can be caused through liver disease. Abnormal veins allow blood from the intestine to bypass the liver. Toxins are not removed or metabolized from the circulation resulting in hepatic encephalopathy (neurological symptoms). It can result in fits, abnormal head pressing, disorientation, pacing, coma, energy loss, weight loss, diarrhoea and yet some like my Belle show no real symptoms, she was a fussy eater but I just had the feeling that something was not quite right so I went to my Vets.
Belle went to see a specialist nearby us, supposedly for an operation to fix the shunt, god how I remember and hate that day, I could not stay with her and she would have to stay in the hospital for at least 3 days the first time we have been parted, I received a phone call from the specialist at about 3pm to say that Belle was alright but that he could not continue the operation as she had 12 shunts, cirrhosis of the liver and that her liver was tiny compared to what it should be.
You see the liver is vital to life it cleans the toxins from the blood system and with liver shunt the blood is bypassing the liver and the toxins build up and poison the body, this can be slowly or can happen rapidly.
I was lucky that I had Belle for so long, but it was due to the medication she was taking, at one point she was up to 14 or more tablets and 10mls of lactulose a day. That’s why I was glad I had Belle insured, not the full insurance I still paid 15% of the bill and special food was not included which did not matter in the end as she would not touch the special vets food, I had to cook for her. One of her favourite foods was homemade chicken stew with plenty of carrots, potatoes and of course chicken in it. Belle made regular visits to the Vet and I mean regular, every month at least when she was in her reasonably fit stages, but there were times when we went every week and every couple of days.
Belle last weeks were made worse because her heart was affected and enlarged and no matter what medication we tried it had not effect. Eventually her heart became that enlarged it collapsed her lung, she became short of breath but still managed to enjoy life as best as she could, but the Monday morning she was sick, I rushed her to the vets and he checked her over and said that he did not think that she had much longer, I took her home and stayed with her cuddling all day, but by mid afternoon she started with the head shaking, at first I could not believe my eyes Belle was fine one second and the next her head was shaking violently. This continued through the night and the next morning I rang the Vet it was time to say goodbye. I could not let her suffer like she had the past 24hrs, but I could not let her go, I did not want my baby to leave me but it was a case of forget about me I must do the best for my baby. It makes it harder because she was only 3 years old a gentle and loving little girl who was friends to everyone. Life is not fair but I gained so much from knowing her, she brought love into my life, and she brought agility and new friends as well.
As life goes on for me and Jade, I have to remember that Jade still has her shunt, the operation so far has been successful but I am ever cautious and watch her like a hawk, maybe I am over protective but I am not risking anything happening to her. I also have to be concerned over Jades leg as she does not have a back right hip joint it was removed due to Perthes disease and she is to small for a replacement joint, but as some of you have now seen at the end of last year and the beginning of this, she still has a good time, even when she is on a go slow, wet uneven ground and she takes things more cautiously herself. Yes Jade is that ball of fluff sniffing along the ground whilst her mother calls and calls her name but she does love it. So for some liver shunt babies there is hope for others just give them the best you can whilst they are with us, Belle loved her agility, on training nights she would stand barking at me until I put her in the car, she never forgot which nights it was and I swear that the fun and love she had doing agility kept her alive for far longer than the experts had given her.
Well I shall force myself to stop there as I kind of get on the band wagon when it comes down to this illness, which could be prevented by breeders taking puppies to the vets and getting the tests done before they sell the puppies, at an average cost of £15 a test compared to the £600 for a pedigree Westie don't the puppies and new owners deserve the truth before they have to go through the heartache that myself and Belle have been through, I would not change having Belle for the world because she is my world, but some people would not have gone through the pain and expense that we have, because I would rather loose everything than loose my Belle.
For those of you who need to talk to some one who has been in the same position my e-mail is always there KimberleyMBailey@aol.com or visit my website for up to date info on Jade at www.westie-agility.co.uk, I am trying to cover info on Westies and info on agility. If you have anything to share especially on this illness let me know the more we can inform people the fewer Dogs will have to suffer.
Extra Reading
http://www.vetcentric.com/magazine/magazineArticle.cfm?ARTICLEID=951
http://www.vet.utk.edu/clinical/sacs/shunt/
