JulesP

No lactulose at the moment as she isn't showing many neurological symptoms and she is going to the loo enough. She has picked up a bit since this morning. Her tummy has gone down now and she just looks really skinny. Can't believe how quickly they can lose condition. She just went nuts for food and is doing this high pitched whine which I haven't heard before. I am going to need to relax a bit and not watch her constantly.

Bit pricey but I would just feed her more of the I/D. I would add a extra meal in too.

Amber isn't in a great way today. Not sure if it was all the poking yesterday or the sedative that they gave her. She is a very sad little dog.

The ultrasound showed that Amber has multiple shunts. This means that they can't operate. It is a matter of management now, diet and fixing any issues that occur. They can't give me a lifespan. Could be days, weeks, months or years. They were very good btw and spent a heap of time answering all my questions.

I figured if she was only here for a short time then it had better be a good time.

I've been to the specialist. Don't really know what to say as they didn't seem to have a clue what was going on. It might be a physical problem or it might be a disease. Think they pretty much listed every liver problem as a potential. They did think it was unlikely that it was a single shunt. She is having another ultrasound at the moment. If that doesn't show up anything I could do a CT scan or exploratory surgery. Both of those are pretty risky to do due to the symptoms that she has (portal hypertension). We went out to the river yesterday and she had a great time and no way would you have thought anything was wrong. She is continuing to eat well. She does have a rash on her belly which I hope is from being shaved rather than an allergy to the food.

Congrats on your long wanted poodle.

I stayed in class for approx 2 mins today before I excused myself. Poppy didn't do anything wrong but I wasn't in the right head space at all. Normally if things are just not working I will finish on something super easy so I can finish the session on a reward. If my dogs aren't working then they are either sick or I am being useless. They don't have bad hair days. Mine really pick up on my mood and that is usually the problem. I know my own dogs have a brilliant work ethic though. Other dogs it can depend on factors like the weather, the days treats etc. If I see the pups in my class struggling because of environmental issues I move to really easy stuff that they can all achieve so the handlers go home happy or I finish early.

I was a bit shitty about the Hills as it has the world's most crap ingredients. I couldn't work out why I am paying so much to basically feed corn. However I now understand that Amber can't currently have any meat products and has to be a veggo. Her damaged liver can't process the meat at all. The difference in her in a couple of days on the Hills is amazing. She has also gone from looking like she hated meal times to bashing the door down and barking at me to hurry up.

ahhh too confusing I may have got a bit grumpy with them this week about it. They told me to feed Hills.

The Royal Canin isn't available in Australia.

It made all my dogs itch and Amber came out in a really bad rash. Amber also hated eating it.

That's interesting mine lost weight on Black Hawk. Amber also had allergy issues on it, fairly sure it was the brewers yeast. The dry food they all did the best on was Supercoat Sensitive. And that was over - Advance, ProPlan, Artemis, Canidae, Black Hawk, Uncle Albers, Natures Gift, Evo, California Natural and Eagle Pack.

I would use Hills L/D food, available from the vet. I have just put my dog on it for liver issues. I have been told to not feed her meat at all at the moment. Do you know what is wrong with your dog?

Amber is booked into the specialist on Monday. She seems pretty bright today. Currently barking at me to be fed. I am not doing so well. I would like to know why the Hills L/D food is so expensive too. Looking at the crappy ingredients there seems no logical reason so I can only assume that it is to take advantage of people with sick pets.

The bile tests have come back and are abnormal but not conclusive for a shunt. She could have liver damage from something like hepatitis or it could still be a shunt. The vet is recommending I go to Melbourne Veterinary Specialist Centre in Glen Waverley. Anyone know anything about them? The crystals in her urine are not the sort normally seen with liver problems and could just be a UTI and not related. So still don't really know what is going on.

SnoPaws do you mind saying were this happened so I can avoid the area. I'm taking the dogs with me all over the place at the moment as I house hunt and usually do test walks from houses.

The local news site is reporting that the dogs broke through a security dog into the lady's sunroom when she tried to escape. She managed to get into the house. If they did do that it is a pretty bad attack imo. If dogs did that to me I would be having hysterics. http://maroondah-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/dogs-attacks-elderly-ringwood-woman/

I would send the bitch back but I am a mega stress head and would be panicking over her well fare too much.

Well she is feeling pretty damn good this morning! Barked at me to feed her. Is barking at Poppy to play and doing massive big play leaps into the air. She ate the I/D tinned food I gave her. Totally different dog today then the last couple of days. Think diet is going to be really key in all this.

Thanks.

Yeah I was feeling fairly shit about Gen as it was. Bile tests will be back tomorrow. Thanks for that info Flick_Mac. Did they give a life expectancy after the operation?

Apart from the little niggly stuff Amber seems perfectly healthy. All a bit of a spin out really. Lucky I didn't get her desexed as that could have been ugly with the anesthetic.

How did you weigh up the risk of surgery WnH? It looks like complications can be an issue.

Thanks WnH. I guess it is likely to be an internal shunt as it looks like that is what bigger breeds have. Amber is 18 months. Her symptoms have been pretty mild. She was bouncing and running in the paddock last night and was pretty lively this morning.