Jeter came into our lives last August after waiting 5 weeks after we had picked him from his litter.  Dad had said, “No more pets!  The zoo is closed!”   But then he was silly enough to take a bet from his 12-year-old daughter, Kirby, that she couldn’t score 3 goals in one game during a tournament because their team performed so poorly and hadn’t scored a single goal in two games.  Let this be a lesson…never bet a child who wants something as desperately as Kirby did!  He had to pay up on the bet…all the players and parents knew (thanks to Kirby).   One minute left in the game, with parents barking at her as she ran up and down the field, Kirby scored the 3rd goal!  The game stopped as the entire team, including the goalie, jumped on her.  From that day forward, Kirby’s Yorkie-to-be would be the team mascot.
            After putting a down payment on the only Yorkie we could find in the area in the newspaper, Mom started reading up on the Internet about the breed.  She read about the liver shunt problems, and silently worried if this could possibly happened the little boy we picked out…what were the odds?…yet she kept questioning the breeder, fretting and asking the vet if he noticed any problems with him.  But anyone who loves animals knows it wouldn’t matter at that point…you fall in love with them as soon as you hold them.
            Jeter seemed to be a happy, loveable puppy.  He brought such joy into our home.  At 9 months old, he started to have accidents in the house…just little spots here and there.  But when they were blotted up, there was blood in them.  Mommy rushed him to the vets.   There wasn’t enough accumulated urine to analyze so they put him on medication for a bladder infection.  Two weeks later it appeared as though there was more than met the eye.  To make a long story short, Jeter had a bladder stone that had to be removed.  Two weeks later, Mom noticed he didn’t seem quite right…she definitely speaks “dog language”.   Of course, it had to happen on a weekend!  Jeter just couldn’t get comfortable and wanted to be held and coddled. His tummy sounded like it had indigestion.  She called the Emergency Veterinarian Clinic, but they said give him an antacid and ¼ baby aspirin.  He seemed to be doing better.  But when Mom came down to get him Monday morning, she thought he was “gone”.   His eyes were fixed and glazed, he didn’t respond, he was laying in his drool.   In hysterics, Mom and Kirby threw their coats over their pajamas and drove 20 miles away going nearly 80 mph on ice to get to the vet before he died.  He was having multiple seizures (8 in a row that we know of).  He was taken to an Emergency Clinic to stay in intensive care on IV's and to monitor the seizures.  After performing a sonogram and running a bile acid test and $1000.00 later, we found out he had some type of liver disease.  We had already spent $1500 and were reeling at the projected costs for further surgery.  Mom didn’t like the answers she was getting from the veterinarians, so she started searching the Internet and found the Fanny Mae Liver Shunt organization.  What a wonderful group of people who offered critical information and emotional support!  They advised us to get to the best place for his surgery…Dr. Tobias at the University of Tennessee.  They gave us $550 towards the surgery, which was so greatly appreciated.  Kirby and Mom leave this Wednesday to drive the 14-hour drive to get the very best for Jeter.  We will keep you posted on his progress.   We are praying that he has an operable shunt with a good prognosis.  We love him so…and by the way…guess who named him Jeter after Derek Jeter of the Yankees…his Dad…you know…the one who said “The zoo is closed!”  He loves him too!
YTNR has matched the funds that FMLS is awarding to Jeter.  Thanks to YTNR, things will be a little easier on Debbie and her family.  Jeter had multiple inoperable shunts and complications.  MVD is an inherited disease also.

He had a CBC and chem screen at my vets on Monday morning when I found him almost in a coma from seizures.  They put him on valium and fluids through IVs then referred me to Orchard Park Vegetarian Clinic.  When they got him he was in his 5th or 6th seizure (never really came out of them...kept rolling into one when coming out of valium).  They gave him Lactulose enemas, IV's and another anti-seizure medication.  By morning he started to come around but still seemed agitated and had some neurological dysfunction.  That day they took a abdomen x-ray and had their specialist do a ultrasound to look for extrahepatic shunt.  The notes say liver appeared normal in size, but the ultrasound said it was smaller than normal.  They continued to treat him with meds until this morning when they felt he was acting normal and walking.  That is when they ran the "Bile acids-Diagnostic Lab" test where I believe they said they drew blood, fed him, waited two hours, and drew blood again.  Then they said I could bring him home this evening and sent him home with Hills K-D diet, Lactulose to be taken orally, and  Metronidazole...both to be administered twice a day (originally they said Lactulose 5 ml. 3x a day but he has severe diarrhea so they reduced it to 2x a day).  I asked if they ran a Scintigraphy test.  They said they didn't do those because it used radioisotopes and they don't have the facilities.  They mentioned Cornell does.  I downloaded the information Terri sent.  It looks like a lot to get done and I have to mail a certified letter to the breeder, etc.  I'm not sure if I have enough time to do all this before it's too late but I'm willing to try.  The vet told me they should have results of bile acid test within a day or two and then would probably schedule surgery for Monday or Thursday when the specialist does his surgery. It sounds like his name is Dr. Gallivan, but I'll have to check the spelling on that.  I asked for copies of his records, but I did not tell them about being in touch with your organization.  They are not the friendliest people to deal with, even when I called crying on Monday for some advise. 

Thank you for your help.  Debbie

I just got home from picking up my yorkie (Jeter) from the vets.  His neurological signs began to clear up yesterday after receiving medication and Lactulose enemas.  By today he was acting fairly normal, so they ran the bile acid test because he could ingest food.  Then they sent him home with two prescriptions (Lactulose orally and Metronidazole) and kd Hills canned food.  They told me they would call me as soon as the bile acid test results came in.  If they come back normal, then they know it is just an epileptic problem, but they are fairly certain it is liver related.
They ran a ultrasound and x-ray.  After the x-ray, the notes said the liver looked normal size.  After the ultrasound, the notes indicate that the liver is on the small side.  No extrahepatic shunt was observed on the liver during ultrasound.  The vet who did this test said his rate is 85% accurate and that they might open him and find an extrahepatic shunt anyway.  If not, they would take a liver biopsy to see what disease of the liver he has or see if he has microvascular disease.  Today I was charged 850.00.  The surgery will be 1700.00 but they could find out he is inoperable and there is no hope and it would be money ill spent.  I also asked if they use the type of repair that Dr. Tobias uses where it gradually closes off the shunt.  They use the one that totally closes it immediately and monitor the blood pressure for a while before they close to see how it is responding (sounds chancy to me).  They also told me intrahepatics shunts are not repairable (yet I read on your information they are repairable).  This is the only vet in the Buffalo area who does this type of surgery.  Cornell is a few hours away.  I don't know if they sound as good as Dr. Tobias so I'm nervous about that also.  They told me that they would probably schedule surgery for next week because the bile acid test results probably won't be in until Friday.  This is moving very quickly.  I'm uncertain as to how much time I can play around with waiting and I'm not sure I'll get a straight answer from them because they are the only ones who can do the surgery.  It isn't the friendliest veterinarian facility I've dealt with. 
I'd appreciate your input or insight.  You've been so helpful before.  We've already spent well over 1500 in the past 14 days with another 1700+ ahead of us, yet it sounds rather bleak to me.  They also said microvasulcar disease was inoperable and they made it sound like he could go into repeated seizures and would be uncontrollable (made me feel like it is hopeless and time to put him asleep if he had that diagnosis).  Please let me know what you think.  We are putting all of this on a charge account that is already over 10,000.00.  If I knew he'd made it and have a normal life, I would pay it off with interest over a long period of time.  I just feel it's spending a lot of money for hopelessness.  We're too attached to make a rational decision.  I spent over 2500.00 a few years ago to save a greyhound we had who ended up dying anyway after less than a year.  That's on our second mortgage and still isn't paid off!  That's why it is such an important decision for us emotionally and financially.
Debbie

Jeter is now at Univ of Tennessee under Dr Tobias care. FMLS has helped Jeter with funds for his surgery and the committee worked hard to guide Debbit to UT.She was going to go to a place where they would do an “exploratory” to find the shunt. We convinced her to take the trip from Buffalo New York to Knoxville Tennessee and Jeter’s surgery will be taken care of this week, probably today or tomorrow. Keep good thoughts for Jeter.