Lucy Bichon Frise at Rainbow Bridge

[laurac]

Hi Liz,
As you know we have had a long battle with Charlie with his liver disease, it was suspected that he had a shunt like this girl but turned out this wasn’t the case he in fact had a different type of liver disease (Micro Vascular Dysplacia – some dogs that have a shunt also have MVD but it will only be discovered after surgery). I have researched this topic till I was blue in the face and am a member of great liver disease group too that can offer so much help and advice. If you want someone experienced dealing with liver disease to foster her I would be happy to help Otherwise can offer info and support and prescription food and some supplements to the person that fosters
Laura x

[hpsheba]

Hi Laura,

I have pm’d you, sorry I lost your new number when I changed my phone. Thanks so much for offering to help Lucy.

I went up to Cara vets today and I got to meet Lucy while I was there. I was shocked at how small and emaciated she is. She looks more like a 12 week old puppy instead of a 9 month old one. She is so thin you can clearly see her bones. The vet nurse, the lovely Kirsten told me that they are trying everything to get her to eat but that they do feel that she is well enough to undergo the operation on Wednesday. She allowed me to pick her up and give her a cuddle for a few mins. I got a chance also to take a few new photos so they are here below.

We would like to take this chance to say a BIG BIG THANK YOU to everyone who has taken the time to get in touch with Dogs in Distress to wish Lucy well and offer some financial assistance for her vet care and operation. We are a volunteer run non profit organisation and without your help we would not be able to help pups like Lucy so thank you for all your support. We will keep updates posted here as they come in.

[laurac]

Have sent you a pm

The poor girl, they are all text book signs of liver disease, stunted growth, underweight, impossible to get to eat, exchausted…

[martinac]

ah..the poor little thing! she is so small. I will say a prayer that the op will be successful tomorrow for her!.

[Roverdil]

Poor little Lucy…I hope she is ok and that everything goes well for her I will be thinking of her tomorrow and I have all fingers and toes crossed for her. Keep well little Lucy

[LKeogh]

We will be thinking of Lucy tomorrow and hoping for the best. Such a terrible case but we are glad we could help you. Laura & Trish and our little Bichon Molly

[louisabyrne1980]

Best of luck Lucy. All the fingers, toes and paws in our house wil be crossed for you! x

[hpsheba]

Little Lucy dropped in to say hello on her way to UCD here and got fitted out with a new jumper to keep her warm.

Suzi travelled her over and spoke to the vets where they did say that she is underweight but they do have an 80% success rate with this operation. They are running tests on Lucy today and we should have an update by this evening.

[martinac]

ah bless the wee pet!! am thinking of her today and saying a prayer that it will be successful op!

[Roverdil]

Awh the little sweetheart looks so lovely in her red jumper. I have been thinking of her all day and checking in to see if there is any update. Best of luck sweet Lucy..you are in the best of hands.

[Anonymous]

Here she is on her travels…..looking so cold and miserable….

Still she is on her travels…..just after we called in to visit Liz and Marie much better!

[Roverdil]

Poor Lucy…at least while she is in foster she will get the chance to be pampered and looked after and hopefully the meds and food will make a big difference. I shall continue to keep everything crossed for this little girl.

[LKeogh]

Hi Liz,

Do they hope to give Lucy the operation after she has had some time with Laura?

She looks lovely and cosy in her new coat

Laura.

[laurac]

I believe she will have surgery in about three weeks (fingers crossed) to close off the shunt so everything will pass through her liver to be cleaned. If anyone wants to read about the type of thing she has this is a good website http://www.vet.utk.edu/clinical/sacs/shunt/faq.php
There is a bit half way down about surgery and what that entails.

For the moment she needs lots of support and the work load eased on her liver so she will be getting fed six small meals per day of a prescription food with no meat, she will also need multiple supplements and medication to rid her blood of bacteria, ammonia, and toxins because at the moment her liver can’t clean things for her and the toxins etc get to her brain and hence plenty of problems.

My own dog has millions of tiny shunts and this could not be repaired in surgery so he has to be medically managed for life so it will be second nature to us to get her ready for her op, we are already well in a routine I’m looking forward to meeting this little women tomorrow

[hpsheba]

Once again thanks so much to Laura for agreeing to help little Lucy. The operation will hopefully take place in 3 weeks time as Laura said and from all reports she is in better form already after having her medication changed. Will hopefully have more info tomorrow when she is given back over to us

[Author]

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