Puppy with liver shunt & bloated belly: Will he die without surgery?

Poor Poppy! I'm sorry to hear that she's having this problem. Fluid accumulation in the abdomen is indeed a common symptom of liver failure, but it's impossible to say for sure if this is the cause without being able to examine her and look at her recent lab work, imaging studies (x-rays and ultrasound), etc. I would recommend talking to the veterinarian who is treating her about what can be done. Ideally, the shunt should be fixed surgically. If this is not an option for you, there are sometimes some diet changes and medication options that can help, at least for a while. Your veterinarian should be able to outline these treatment options for you and help you decide on what is best for Poppy.

With careful anaesthesia and good surgical skills the chances for successful surgery are very good. Ideally, this kind of surgery should be performed at referral center by an experienced surgeon. What is important, the surgery usually corrects the problem and the dog is fully cured. Good luck with Siggy - I hope she will make good recovery and remain well.

Hello, I am very sorry to hear about your Alfie. It does sound that your puppy had liver disease, likely liver shunts. This is almost always a surgical condition. We do not recommend surgery only if it is technically impossible to do. Feeding special diets, giving antibiotics or lactulose it only complementary treatment. It is not possible to bring up a healthy dog with liver shunts only by giving special diet. Finally, it is not uncommon to recommend euthanasia for sick, poorly, seizuring puppies. Some of them just do not give much hope for a healthy life despite all intensive treatment and procedures we can provide. Please, accept again my condolence on your loss.

They could have it or not. Liver shunt can have a congenital origin. I would strongly recommend to check all of them at your local vets. Abdominal ultrasound and specific blood tests are very sensitive way to diagnose this disease.

I'm sorry to hear that! It really depends on the severity of the shunt and what kinds of symptoms she's showing, so this would be a good question to discuss with your veterinarian - but in general, surgery is strongly recommended for dogs with liver shunts who are having neurologic symptoms. Medication and diet are usually not sufficient to control their symptoms without surgery.

This sounds like Coco may now have acquired portosystemic shunts. These shunts form to bypass the liver when blood pressure through the liver becomes too high. Unfortunately these shunts cannot be surgically corrected and managing symptoms with medications is the only treatment option. I'm so sorry about Coco's diagnosis. Hopefully you can get some guidance from her veterinarians about what to expect.

Poor Bruce! This is quite scary new, I know but it can be quite treatable. If you can afford it and for the best possible outcome, I would ask for a referral to a specialist. A specialist will be able to do a thorough abdominal ultrasound to see the shunt and determine what type of surgery might be needed. Surgery is the best option as it can usually repair the problem and he can live a normal life. If this isn’t an option, then yes I would certainly try to manage it medically. You can switch to a special food and add in a medicine that will help decrease the toxins that his body isn’t able to get rid of on his own. Unfortunately neither option is 100% guaranteed to work, but I have see good success with both especially with early intervention. I hope this helps and gives you some peace of mind. There are options. You just have to decide which is best for you and Bruce. Please let us know if you have additional questions. I have included an article with more information. Hugs! https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/portosystemic-shunt-in-dogs