It all started with the breeding of my beautiful Irish Wolfhound, Pari (GCH Gabriel’s Pari of Hounds Reach).
We chose to whelp the pups at home. Aurla was Pari’s second born and slipped into my hands at 10:45 PM on March 1st, 2017. She was a healthy 21 oz. Irish Wolfhound puppy. After a long wait, we realized that Pari was in dystocia, so it was off to the emergency vet for a c-section with Aurla and her sister in tow. The next morning, Aurla and her five siblings were happily nursing at home.
Aurla continued to develop normally and at 6 1/2 weeks had a healthy puppy exam at her vet. At 9 1/2 weeks the pups went for their Liver Shunt tests and all but Aurla got normal results on the first test. During the week before Aurla’s 2nd test she started showing neurological symptoms, usually around sunset, with “semi-blinded” perimeter pacing, panting and whining. I alerted her vet and as soon as possible, we had her on Lactulose and a low protein Hills KD prescription diet.
Aurla’s symptoms improved quickly with the new protocol. Her second Shunt test at 11 weeks confirmed that she had Liver Shunt with post-prandial bile acids at 130.9 umol/L (high normal being 14.9).
Five days later Aurla had an ultrasound to discover the location, number and severity of the shunt(s). The ultrasound showed one large intrahepatic shunt at 4.4 cm in diameter and 6 cm long. This, in a three month old puppy, seemed huge and a real challenge to deal with.
Subsequent to her diagnosis we had our beautiful puppy on Lactulose, a low protein prescription diet, antibiotics and herbal supplements. I researched surgery to close the shunt and found that it was very expensive and not covered by insurance. In addition, when talking with a friend who’s young Wolfhound went through the procedure, I learned that her dog remained on the primary medicines and supplements that Aurla was already taking. Because of the rapid and expansive growth of an Irish wolfhound puppy, a second surgery for my friend’s puppy, in the not so distant future, was also necessary.
For Aurla, we made the difficult decision to take our chances and opt for drug and diet treatment only. We chose a peaceful, consistent and stress free life for our girl, even if it was to be shorter. A major reason for our choice, was that Aurla did not deal well with “change”. We wondered whether she would survive the rigors of surgery, which would include travel to a major clinic, having to adapt to strange people and surroundings and of course recovery from the anesthesia and surgical trauma. There would also be the strong possibility that the experience would need to be repeated.
And so…Aurla has stayed in her beautiful home with her canine, feline and human family.
Through Mc Dowell’s Herbal in Australia we order two herbal tonics:
- Maritime Pine Bark 10 drops /day (This is a strong antioxidant)
- Special Mix Liver Formula’ 30 drops /day (an herbal concoction which acts as a tonic for her general liver health). I give these in goat yogurt and she loves it.
What I am giving you here is my experience in loving, living with and treating Aurla for five years. This should be considered anecdotal and not medical advice, since every case will necessarily be different. If you have a shunt puppy please consult with your vet. My purpose here is to give you hope. Discovering Liver Shunt in your puppy doesn’t have to be a death sentence!
Aurla has truly been “the light of my life”. She has a sweet, beautiful spirit and has a clear melodious howl which she proudly practices every evening. She delights in the falling snow in winter and wild runs around the property with her brother, CH Hounds Reach
Some of the best ways to learn more from the experts about liver shunt in Irish Wolfhounds go to: https://www.iwfoundation.org/health-library/liver and
https://www.iwclubofamerica.org/liver-shunt-dunn Another source of information on liver shunt and especially the surgical treatment is the IWHG in the UK: http://www.iwhealthgroup.co.uk/liver-shunt.html
