Ziggy needs surgery for a liver shunt

Siegfried "Ziggy" the Keeshond is a tough little nut. He had a very rough start to life but bounced back to become an incredibly smart, energetic and loving dog. Recently however, another setback has knocked him down.

Soon after Ziggy came to us at 9 weeks old, he was diagnosed with a liver shunt - a blood vessel which bypasses the liver and results in his body being unable to properly digest protein resulting in a build-up of ammonia in the gut; the ammonia then enters the blood stream and begins to affect the nervous system. The symptoms include excessive water consumption, reduced or no bladder control, poor balance, disorientation, lethargy, vomiting, muscle tremors, seizures, head pressing and if left untreated, the shunt would eventually lead to death.

Fortunately, with the help of our amazing Vets, Ziggy was able to be stabilised and managed with medicine and strict diet until he was big enough to undergo the required specialised surgery at Massey Vet hospital which, at the ripe old age of 5 months, took place in July 2020.

Following his surgery and recovery, Ziggy has had just over a year of completely normal life - normal food, proper yummy doggy treats, outdoor adventures and being a constant companion to us at home and frequently in my office at work during the week. He has gone from a timid and wary pup to a confident and (mostly) fearless teenager.

Unfortunately, in recent weeks he has begun to show signs of renewed shunting including dramatically increased water intake, loss of bladder control and most worryingly, several seizures very suddenly over just a few days. New blood and bile acid tests have confirmed either the original shunt has re-opened or a new shunt has formed and he is back on medical management and strict diet - which he is very unhappy about!

It was heartbreaking to see how Ziggy suffered as a puppy so together with our vets, we are working to get Ziggy through this as quickly as possible but the medical management and diet will continue while we wait for Massey Vet Hospital to book him in for evaluation and a second surgery hopefully early in the new year.

Last time, we had insurance (taken out when we got Ziggy) but because he showed symptoms of his liver shunt straight away it was not covered by the policy. This second shunt now falls into the category of a pre-existing condition and once again will not be covered. We were able to cover the significant costs for Ziggy's first surgery ourselves but this second diagnosis comes at a time when finances are much less certain - all support is gratefully appreciated as we work towards getting Ziggy back to the normal, fun dog life he deserves.

Unfortunately we don't yet know the full costs of treatment for this second shunt but any funds raised that exceed the costs of Ziggy's treatment will be donated by us to help other dogs in need/and or donated to a local animal rescue shelter.