Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
elly_nj

Liver Shunt

Elly_NJ
13 years ago

Beebay is a 16 week old foster kitten I am currently caring for. We are trying to stabilize her for potential surgery.

She is on KD diet, lactulose and occasional sub-q fluids.

She is a very happy, loving kitten, and sticks to me like velcro, even when she was having an "episode."

Does anyone have experience in this condition? Advice?

Comments (11)

  • Meghane
    13 years ago

    Why is she on K/D? That's the kidney diet. L/D is the liver diet.

  • coconut_nj
    13 years ago

    One of my oldest cats Sammie was a liver shunt kitten. He went through the surgery like a trooper and had no complications. He hated the L/D food and always disliked any canned foods. He does drink a good amount of water to make up for the dry food he eats. He's been a very healthy cat all of his life until this past year. He has become hypothyroid but medication is taking care of it at this point so he's doing well. He's 11 now. A real little rascal.

  • Elly_NJ
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    They gave me KD. They said it was low protein...? Maybe the protein content is the same?

    Thanks, coconut.

  • lzrddr
    13 years ago

    KD is low pro, but it is super high in fats, and not necessarily the fats you want. LD is a much better choice, though it does take some geting used to I guess. LD has proteins and fats that are easier for the liver to deal with, which is what you want when it's not working all that well. But if LD is not available, KD might be the next best choice (if limited to Hills products). Gotta keep those ammonia levels down. Is she on antibiotics, too?

  • Elly_NJ
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    No antibiotics. The vet (a specialist) did not recommend any.

    Turns out she has a heart murmur, too, so it's getting complicated.

  • Elly_NJ
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Update. I had to euthanize little Beebay. I had her for only three weeks, but I loved her very much. I miss her on my lap and under my feet.

  • petaloid
    13 years ago

    I'm very sorry she had to pass over -- what a precious angel.

  • Ninapearl
    13 years ago

    elly, i'm so sorry you lost your little girl. that 3 weeks was probably the best she ever knew.

  • Anne_Marie_Alb
    13 years ago

    Elly,
    I am sooo sorry you lost your dear friend at a time you needed him so much! Cats are so delicate, so many things can go wrong with them (when you first posted about shunt liver, I had no idea what it was, and I had to read about it). I feel I am learning a lot of health issues through cats, and more than I ever wanted to know... I fostered a little tiger very much like your Beebay for 6 weeks with uveitis who eventually died of FIP, and I wanted so much to have saved her!!

    This guy was lucky to have had you for even just 3 weeks. He was dealt a rotten hand.. but he had his home and a special person to love him. I can't stand the thought of cats dying in a shelter without ever having known the love of a home (we've had a few too many recently at our shelter).. So .. I just hope that knowing you have given him a very special 'frienship' will help you with your loss.

    And.. Thank you so much for having taken him in!!
    Thinking of you,
    Anne-Marie

  • Elly_NJ
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks!

    She was a gift to me, and she gave me as much if not more than I could give her.

  • Meghane
    13 years ago

    She is just precious. I am so sorry about your loss.

0