I called the University of Tennessee Veterinary School and made the appointment for the consultation and testing on February 27th.  If that goes well, the surgery is the next day -- Friday the 28th.  Now I'm scared.

I think I've been so focused on the goal that I'd forgotten that it involves major surgery and a plane trip and a plane trip with a dog just a few days after major surgery.  And then a recovery that can takes up to two months to fully recover from.

Nothing to be scared of, right?

Max, on the other hand, seems fine -- sometimes I question whether he needs the surgery.  But then he takes three meds a day and still has problems with elimination.  Plus he is exhibiting signs of HE (hepatic encephalopathy) and it is unnerving when he is just sitting & staring into space, seems confused for brief episodes, etc.

I know when it's over I'll be able to relax, but for now all I can do is picture the plane trip over, the surgery, the plan trip back & worry.

The way this liver shunt goes is this:  food comes in and instead of going through the liver it is shunted around the liver.  The liver is responsible for filtering out all the toxins in the food -- stuff that doesn't need to float around in the body but should just go straight out.  So if there are toxins being brought in but the liver isn't filtering them out -- what happens?  They go to his brain.

So the whole point is to keep his food low on the toxins so that he doesn't suffer the 'brain' stuff -- the brain stuff is called hepatic encephalopathy.  It can include seizures, temporary blindness, behavior changes, vomiting, pacing, fogginess - which looks like starring into space, or rubbing his head against the wall to kind of 'clear' the fogginess.

Once the surgery is performed and the blood is going through the liver, it is hoped that all those symptoms disappear -- if they haven't been going on too long or haven't created other issues, they usually do go away.

So Max takes one antibiotic a day to help kill the toxins and bacteria -- and we try our best to feed him a low protein, low purine diet.  Easier said than done.  Apparently the GOOD TASTE  for dogs is in the protein and the purines.  The prescription diets look like rubber --- and does not smell at all enticing.  No wonder Max won't eat them.

The other problem is that food starts the symptoms -- so he begins to associate the food with seizures, or the fogginess, or whatever and then he doesn't want to eat the next time.  So we try all kinds of things -- and he'll eat for a day or two until that food as well starts the symptoms.

For the last three days he's not eaten much at all, and he's thrown up what he has eaten.  He isn't losing weight yet, and he still has quite a bit of energy --- but I know that can't go on forever.  I'm torn between getting anything at all into him versus getting only approved foods into him.

We seem to spend all our time thinking about feeding him, or finding the money for the surgery.

I know -- one day we'll look back at this and smile.


Right?

There are as many ups & downs with liver dogs as there are for fund raising for liver dogs.  

Received a call from ACTORS & OTHERS FOR ANIMALS.  They are willing to donate $500 if I can get the provider to accept checks AFTER treatment.  So far the University of Tennessee isn't open to that.  But I'll be damned if I'm going to give up so easy.  It's $500!  

I've received pleasant denials from Red Rover (no funds available), Brown Dog (funding suspended at this time), Mosby Foundation (no funds), and Rosie's Fund.  Also received a call from VFTAfoundation.  She was very pleasant -- she was Incredulous that Actors & Others were going to give me so much and congratulated me.  She could give me $50 if, big IF, I could get UT to bill them.  She did give me a couple of other places to try.  

iMom is a place everyone recommends but they require the dog to be 10 days from death to help --- thankfully Max isn't that close -- but I may try to reach them next week and see if there is a middle ground they allow.  

It's hard not to be discouraged, but I keep telling myself that with all the different forms of fundraising I'm doing, it's slowly adding up.

I sold my iPhone5 and then the buyer in Russia backed out.  So I'm starting over again.  Jeez.  

But the candy bar sales are going well, the online fundraiser is up to $300, so it is slowly getting there.  I just hope it's fast enough for Max. 

I've set myself a 'wish list' date of February 25th.  That's the day I'd like to leave for the surgery -- I thought maybe having a date would give me more of a push. 

As if Max isn't a push enough, of course.  

Petfund.org

A lady from PETFIND.ORG called today.  They classify liver shunts as URGENT and they don't cover urgent medical issues.  I told her that Max's vet doesn't think it's an emergency, that we are thinking five or six months by the time I raise the money for the surgery.  She said they consider it URGENT, so they won't be able to help.

She did suggest the links on their webpage -- which I've checked out, but I didn't find anything new.

But I guess it's good to have any response at all, right?

Photos

What is a liver shunt?

This is a great page that explains what a liver shunt is and how it can be treated.

Finally something that explains it so I can understand it.

http://www.michvet.com/library/surgery_pss.asp