jacage

Hi Jules. Yes bulldogs are hoovers with food. I was thinking I'm not giving him enough as he is always looking for more. Is it true that smaller more frequent meals are better for them? I've been feeding him 4 times a day but not sure how to keep this up when I am back at work and the kids are at school? I paid $24 for 30 amoxycillin tabs, would the metronidazole be cheaper than this? Does amber also have to take the lactulose?

Hugo is currently on 5mls of lactulose 2 times a day. His poos are soft but not anywhere near soft serve consistency. Should I be upping the lactulose? Since changing his meds to the long term antibiotic he's become very boisterous, very cuddly and his facial twitches have almost stopped. :) I feed him 4 times a day of half cup of l/d dry food and with his morning and night meal I mix in 1/4 can of I/D but he still seems hungry? Hes just gone 11 kilos, is this enough food for him?

We went back to the vet yesterday and he has put hugo on 200mg amoxycillin daily as well as 10mls of lactulose daily and just feeding him the l/d diet. Can I ask what kind of meds your dogs are on? Also what are you feeding them? He mentioned that later I might be able to give him some other low protein foods?

Hugo came home today. The vet assured me that he is not suffering or in pain (apart from his surgery). I feel so bad for putting him through that surgery for nothing! But I guess I can at least say I tried? He gave me the biggest cuddle when I picked him up, so I know bringing him home and continuing his meds and diet is the right thing to do for now. I have to go back to my normal vet tomorrow so we can get his meds right and he can just check him over. Hes been drinking and weeing so much today and his poos have been quite runny. So another thing to discuss with the vet tomorrow. This little boy is quickly sending me broke and I know its going to be expensive for a while yet. Ive noticed today he has had a lot of facial twitches, is this normal?

Jules. How did you find out exactly what sort of shunt amber had? What yest did they do? I'm worried that because they have opened up hugo that it may impact his outcome? I cant make any decision yet until I see him tomorrow and talk more with the vet when I have a clear head.

JulesP thank you so much for your reply. I am so unsure of what to do right now. In the past week you wouldn't really know that Hugo was so sick. He seemed to respond so well to the diet change and meds. He is only 5 months old but brought so much happiness to me that I can't bear the thought of not having him around. If I don't bring him home I feel like I am giving up on him but I also don't want him to suffer. He is my everything. Did Amber only have the shunts? or did she have problems with her liver as well? The fact that he only has 1/5th of his liver? will this affect his quality of life?

Hugo's surgery didn't go well. They thought he only had a large extrahepatic shunt but when they opened him up they found several other intrahepatic shunts as well as his liver only being 1/5th of the size it should be. His main vein also doesn't connect with his liver. I have two choices I can put him to sleep now or I can take him home and keep him on medication and diet and he may live for another six months.

We had our appointment with the specialist vet today and he wanted to do the surgery today. They did an ultrasound first and found that Hugo has a extrahepatic shunt but a very big one, he also has a very small liver. They are currently doing the surgery now. I have been told that he due to the size of the shunt he may not respond as well and it may take him longer to recover. Am waiting on further news from the vet.

Just today I have been put in contact with a Vet in Canberra that has done this type of surgery before with a good success rate. His name is Dr Jacob Michelsen and he is from Sydney but currently helping out at the Gungahlin Vets. We have an appointment with him on Thursday morning. Hugo is currently on 5mls of lactulose morning and night as well as Metrogyl and Noroclav 1/2 tablets twice daily. He's been quite good up until today when he seems a bit off and clumsy. not sure if it is just the heat affecting him or something more. I am currently giving Hugo 4 meals a day. In the morning and night he gets 1/2 up dried food with about 1/4 can of L/D. The other two meals are just 1/4 - 1/2 cup of Dry L/D. Does this sound like enough or too much for a 5 month old? He is always looking for other food as soon as he is finished. The vet wants him on just the L/D but is there any treats that he can have that would be ok for him? I hadn't gotten around to taking out pet insurance when he had his bad turn. Kept meaning to but never thought it really mattered as he seemed so good. I know the surgery is expensive but if he can have it he will. I'll do everything to fix him. He had a seizure just over a week ago which is when we found out about the shunt. I really don't want to see him have to go through that again.

I have a 5 month old aussie bulldog who has just been diagnosed with a possible liver shunt after suffering a seizure following a bad turn last sunday. He became very disorientated, his jaw clamped shut and he couldnt breathe and was very distressed. Hes also quite small for his age. My vet has put him on metrogyl and clavinox as well as the hills prescription diet l/d. He seems to be responding quite well so far. Im pretty sure the vet wants to do an u/s next to confirm but has also told me that there isnt a vet capable of this surgery in canberra. Can anyone tell mr what the cost is for this surgery?