Landon & His Liver Shunt
What is a Liver Shunt? July 20th Appointment
Hello RAL friends. We want to tell you about a kitten named Landon who, we suspect, has a liver shunt.
Landon came to RAL by way of one of our animal control partners as a transfer on July 11th. Landon was found by a citizen at a bank and brought to animal control.
Shortly after his arrival, we noticed possible seizure activity, which was consistent with a possible seizure that staff at the animal control shelter had seen. He was placed in an incubator, where he quickly got comfortable.
After observing him for a few days and running some tests, our veterinary team suspects he has a liver shunt. He has a consult scheduled with an internal medicine veterinarian on July 20th. He will likely need a CT scan; if it is confirmed, he will need surgery to fix the shunt. We are relying on our RAL family to help us to do whatever we need for little Landon to live a happy, healthy life with a loving family.
So, what exactly is a liver shunt?
A healthy liver is crucial for a cat's well-being as it detoxifies the blood and removes harmful substances. A shunt is a liver defect where the blood bypasses the liver and flows directly to the heart, resulting in toxins not being filtered out. This condition can lead to various health problems, such as neurological issues, digestive disturbances, urinary tract disorders, and stunted growth. Early diagnosis is essential and can be done through blood tests, ultrasound, and X-rays. Treatment options include dietary management with low-protein food or surgical intervention to redirect blood flow to the liver. With early recognition, most cases can be successfully treated with surgery.
What is his prognosis?
If it is confirmed that Landon has a liver shunt, we will schedule surgery with a specialist. There are risks with the surgery, as with any surgery, but without it, he will not have a chance because his liver cannot do its job properly. He will need to be hospitalized for a day or two after the surgery to be monitored, and if he makes it through that, he can live a normal life.
We will keep you updated on Landon’s diagnosis and treatment right here in this blog!
July 20th Appointment:
The specialist believes that he does have a liver shunt, but he is currently too small for an ultrasound or a CT scan. Since he is doing well with medical management, we will continue treating him as we have been until he is about 4lb. We will then do the CT scan and, very likely, surgery. The estimate for the CT scan is about $3,000 - $4,000. If you would like to help us with his medical care, please consider donating.
He seemed to enjoy his field trip and getting fawned over.
