Liver Shunt

Monarch is my 7th puppy in training for Canine Companions for Independence. She is 16 weeks old, and recently diagnosed with a liver shunt.

I am dropping her off at the vet tomorrow for an ultrasound. The ultrasound will confirm the liver shunt and also let the vet determine how operable the condition is. Every article that I have read says that the surgery has an 85% success rate. But she is so little - only 16 pounds, when I bet her littermates are all over 30 pounds. Since the initial diagnosis this past weekend, she has had some good days and a couple bad days. Now that I know what to look for, I can tell when she is starting to have an episode... She becomes confused, agitated or depressed. It just breaks my heart. But then the next day she is all puppy, running after my dog or up to people. It is just stressful waiting for the next step.