Why did my dog lose vision after liver shunt surgery? Will it return?

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.

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.

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.

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.

With a liver shunt the puppy will not thrive and eventually will die, especially since he already has severe clinical signs of illness. The liver is the main detoxification organ of the body and when it does not work properly the body slowly poisons itself and will die. So surgery is highly recommended provided there is not already serious damage. I am sorry, that the news is not so good.

These pets can undergo anesthesia if certain precautions and certain medications are used. These dogs will undergo anesthesia to have the operation preformed to repair the shunt and they will generally do fine. So it can be done safely but it still carries an increased risk compared to a normal dog. I would recommend to talk with Pako's veterinarian about the risk/benefits of anesthesia specific to his situation. Also, ask about the experience his veterinarian has had with dogs who have a history of liver disease. I hope I have answered your question!

I hate to hear this is happening. I recommend to have a frank discussion with your veterinarian about what they suspect is happening. Coco may need more diagnostics to determine the cause. Here is a link about Hepatic encephalopathy including the causes: https://www.merckvetmanual.com/digestive-system/hepatic-disease-in-small-animals/hepatic-encephalopathy-in-small-animals If this is due to a single large liver shunt, surgery may be an option. If this is not, medical management may help which includes a special diets, lactulose and medication life long. You may want to seek a second opinion as well if your vet does not seem up to date on current information. Thank you can make an informed decision. I hope this helps.