# new pup w/ liver shunt & hydrocephalus



## stressica (Mar 9, 2013)

hello everyone. thanks in advance to those who take the time to give me feedback and advice - it's much appreciated. i'll give as much information as i can, and will answer what i can. 

anabel is a 5 month old inbred chihuahua weighing about 5 lbs. her mother is her fathers daughter, and who knows before that. i am not the breeder, and i did not purchase her 

right around 3.5 months of age, she had her first hypoglycemic moment. i thought she ate my marijuana [which i keep locked up and inaccessible], but the symptoms were similar. they subsided quickly, and that was that.

about 2 weeks later, the same thing happened, which caused me to take notice and start googling. came up with hypoglycemia and called our vet, with whom i have a 10 year, foster/rescue-based relationship, so he trusts me. i got all the supplies to start handling that, and then things got weird. 

her current symptoms that started then, and are currently being exhibited are:

distended belly
"quiet" personality, ranging to lethargy
a very quiet, breathy, wincy sound when approached [she seems painfree]
constant piddling. housetraining is almost impossible
moments of unawareness that my voice cannot break through
pacing. lots of pacing.
constant licking of fabric

her mornings are spent bright and aware, and she gets progressively a bit quieter throughout the day, where she sleeps all night. 

after many hours researching, and a trip to a very conservative vet unwilling to run me through a million tests i can't afford, he suggested liver shunt and hydrocephalus. 

i cannot afford the surgery, and he doesn't think she'd be a good candidate for it, so we're handling it with meds[both steroids, can't recall the name] and diet. i KNOW i am screwing up on her diet, i'm just happy she's eating, because there are periods of time where she will not, and the sugar shock sets in.

if you've read this far, i thank you. my question is: what do i need to be feeding my puppy? i've googled everything within inches of its life, and at this point, i just need a few people with experience to tell me exactly what's worked for them. i've got nothing to lose, as her prognosis is poor, so i'll try anything. 

i can, and will grow food for her if necessary. i just need to know what 

thank you again, in advance for your feedback.


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## Sinead (Mar 5, 2013)

My rascal was a little poorly last week he was sick and very shakey and sleepy too but one of the girls on here recommended putting a little bit of honey or syrup on his gums which I did and after a while he was back to his normal happy self bounding about and playing. I also feed him since plan small puppy food which he just loves as he's quite a fussy eater and tried a few things but found science plan worked best for him.


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## Alula (Feb 3, 2013)

Have you looked into raw feeding her? I have just started my pup on it and he adores it. The main benefit that springs to mind for your girl is that raw feeding doesn't cause spikes in sugar levels in the way that many kibbles do. I am very very new to this though and really suggest you read a thread by Brody's Mom here - it is so informative and helpful. I have seen real changes in my puppies energy, he is lively but not hyper then crashing like he used to! As well as big changes in his coat and smell 

If raw isn't for you then simply the highest quality kibble you can find, you want something that is going to release sugar slowly and evenly to help keep her ticking over and feeding it in four small meals spaced out throughout the day should keep her fueled nicely. If you have good nutrition in place and symptoms still persist that may help you get to the bottom of her poorliness. 

Really hope she is feeling better soon,


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## Angel1210 (Mar 14, 2011)

Sorry I cannot be of much help. There are many people here that can help you. 

In the meantime, search the forums for liver shunt. There are past posts and other info that may prove very helpful to you!

I hope she gets well quick!


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## LostLakeLua (Sep 6, 2009)

I'm with the others who suggest feeding the diet that nature intended; even for such tiny special-needs carnivores. Like Jemma said, raw feeding doesn't cause the sugar spikes that are all too familiar with a "kibble" diet. Kibble is just another word for processed cereal, coated with a vitamin powder which they can't digest properly anyway. =( If you're interested, here's a little cheat sheet I wrote up that also includes a meal guide. Often people are scared off by the concept of raw, overcomplicating it (believe me, that was me two years ago!) but with Tracy's advice along with many of the other raw feeders on here, it was easy to get the hang of it; and SO well worth it for my dogs well being!! 
http://www.chihuahua-people.com/raw-food/73449-~kats-prey-model-raw-cheat-sheet~.html
I do not have experience with liver shunts; however I do know that nutrition is the key to any animals' health; and in good faith I couldn't recommend anything else. In fact, I foster Chi's; and every dog I've adopted out in the last 6 months has also been on a raw diet. I actually take the time to screen out people who are willing to learn; because TBH it would break my heart to know I gave a dog the best nutrition it could have, only to have a new owner switch it back to a processed food. Not trying to sound dramatic or anything; just can't emphasize enough how converting to a raw diet has helped so many dogs overcome a plethora of ailments. =) I wish you the best of luck; and I hope that you and Anabel will stick around and get to know us! =D


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## stressica (Mar 9, 2013)

thank you all 

i have considered raw, and do feed her some veggies at the moment. with the shunt and hydrocephalus, i'm wondering if anyone can recommend a hepatic raw diet? 

what i can't grab from the local csa, i can grow and am willing to do so if it means the end of all this madness . i don't think i've slept fully for the past 2.5 months. 

i've search a few threads, but i'm hoping one of the active members with shunt experience will see this and drop some amazing knowledge on me


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