Gemmie

Thanks for the info funny you say that, people always ask how old she is and when i say 3yo they are amazed, they think she is still a puppy! she is very tiny, tiny head, tail, frame, just a tiny dog! we have had jack russells all our life (pure breds) and the only thing JR about her is her colouring (tan and white!) When shes asleep curled up in a ball she could fit in my hands! i have to go to vets tonight so i will ask about the antibiotics and get her back on them Thanks for your help.

ok thanks for that info, ill look into that, they are the closest to me so far! She has not been eating normal food, she has been eating a few veggies, but not much. there was a recipe on the net somewhere that was just veggies and fish (white flesh) is this okay to give to her? She does like fish, not that i have given any to her since the symptoms i also read somewhere that someone gave there dog with a shunt, oats? would this be okay? or porridge? she used to love porridge its very hard trying to feed her at the moment, she just doesnt want to touch food i will get some of the pediasure, that sounds good, how much should i give her? she only weighs 4.5kgs (very small dog, always has been) she was on a course of anti-biotics, but that has finished now, and she is on ursofolk (spelling?) at the moment. im sorry for all these questions i know you have probably answered all these before, but your help is very appreciated.

Thanks for all your replies, much appreciated. I am going through the process to get an ultrasound to diagnose the type of shunt, if it is one, my vet is great and has experience in dealing with shunts and with great results. she said that there findings are pointing to shunt symptoms, but i do know that more investigation is needed. She will not eat the LD (can) yet, and dry food is on back order!! i have been trying to get her to eat anything at this stage, as she will not eat much at all. if anyone has any tips on dealing with a dog like this any info would be greatly appreciated. Other than that, she is doing fine, running and playing with her toys etc. she just will not eat much! before we knew that she had these symptoms she was eating a full can a day, now she will not eat a small handful a day. does anyone have an estimate on the surgery cost? and best place in victoria? ETA: not that a cost is a factor, i would do anything for her! i am just curious Thanks :)

Hi Guys, im after some advice/experience with dealing with a dog with a liver shunt. My 3yo JRT x Dachshund has just been diagnosed with a liver shunt. she is a very very active bright dog, so even the vets were amazed when we discovered this! How did we discover this only now? well, poor Gemmie has hurt her back (very active and a great jumper, and probably the dachshund in her hasnt helped) so off to the vets, she is still fine at thie stage, active and bright, just slow at running and having trouble jumping. so vet felt around and said she had a bruised back, so came home with a course of anitbiotics, which help within 2 days. Then came the liver shunt symptoms, depressed, lethargic, vomiting etc. so back to vets. Vets took a blood test straight away, showed elevated liver enzymes, 5 times more than her previous blood test in 2011. so vet done an ultra sound, this discovered a small liver. So vet took a bile acid test, her results were off the scale, fasting was 311 and 2 hours after was 216. At this stage her course of action is to, have her on a special diet, hills perscription l/d, and low proteins and medication everyday. Which is fine and she was improving greatly! back to normal Gemmie! but now she has stopped eating, she has maybe only eaten a handful (large) in 4 days, still drinking water though. but is still active, playing with her toys, and chasing birds in the sky!!! what are peoples experiences with a liver shunt dog?