Liver Shunt In Small Puppies. Liver shunts can be congenital defects (failure of closure of the ductus venosus or inappropriate vascular development) or acquired (development of extra vessels. While most portosystemic shunts are congenital (the dog or cat is born with the shunt), under certain circumstances portostystemic shunts may be acquired secondary to another problem with the liver (acquired shunts).
If the liver is working, the dietary restriction is lifted. A liver shunt is known medically as a. Bile acids are produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder.
Runts of the litter are often diagnosed with liver shunts since this problem causes issues with nutrient break down from food.
What health problems does a liver shunt cause? Liver shunt in dogs (portosystemic shunting) can be congenital or acquired. A portosystemic shunt causes a bypass of blood from the gastrointestinal tract directly into the systemic circulation, avoiding the normal detoxifying process that happens in the liver and reducing nutrient input into the liver. Anemia is common, in part due to abnormal iron metabolism.