Thursday, March 19, 2009 3:30:33 PM 
He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." ~ Unknown
I was born on February 22, 2008 in Kodak, TN. I don't really know a lot about my doggie parents...but mommy said that when she and daddy went to get me I was in a bedroom that had been set up for the puppies. I was in a little baby bed and I was very clean and friendly. So, we live with the thought that I had cared for doggie parents cause we don't like to think differently.
Mommy and Daddy brought me home in early April It was love at first site all around. I was a very good puppy from day one. I never whined or cried. For the first few nights I slept in my crate but then mommy bought me a snuggie and I've been there ever since and I love it. I was always pretty good about using the potty pads but not so good at going outside. When I got outside I was just having too much fun to go potty. And, there were CATS - oh I just love to play with those cats and I can't potty while I'm playing with cats.
In early September mommy and daddy took me to obedience school. I didn't like that very much - I mean, really, I'm already VERY well behaved. I go everywhere with them, I'm very friendly, I'm very socialized. So what if I don't come the first time they call me. I'm a busy little guy! I'll get there eventually. And, when they want me to drop something from my mouth! Honestly, do they think I would have picked it up in the first place if I didn't want to chew on it? PARENTS!!!!
FINALLY, mommy and daddy put in a doggie door...and guess what? That's right, I am now TOTALLY potty trained. I never go inside anymore. I go in and out my doggie door all day and night. I love the freedom!
NOW - here's the bad stuff that's been happening to me.........On February 13, 2008 just a week before my 1st birthday I got VERY sick. I was constipated - you don't want to know how awful it was so I won't go there! But, belive me I was miserable!!!!! So, first thing Valentine's Day morning my mommy and daddy took me to see the vet...they weren't even open yet but we were waiting on her when she got there. First of all she looked in my mouth an pulled on my skin. She wasn't happy. Then she put a thermometer in my bottom and when it came out it was bloody! YUCK! She told mommy and daddy that I was dehydrated and she was concerned about the blood. She wanted me to stay in the ICU for the week-end on IV fluids and to do some testing. Mommy got very upset and argued about leaving me....but, Dr. Watson said I had to stay. Mommy and Daddy left and the assistant took me then stuck me with a needle to take some blood...then another needle to put the IV in! I was too sick to fight them! After a couple of tests and an X-ray my doctor called mommy to tell her my ALT's were 786 [elevated liver enzymes] and that my liver was far too small for my body...she thought I might have a PORTOSYSTEMIC LIVER SHUNT . WHOA! my mommy and daddy were very upset and started the research over that week-end. They were very scared! Don't get upset, don't cry, there's a happy ending! I stayed in the ICU for 48 hours and was feeling better - but not totally good yet. Then I had the BAT's done - they were perfectly normal. [Although I'm far ABOVE normal, I sure was glad to have normal BATs]
It seems to have been a misdiagnosis but we still didn't know what was wrong with me so I went to the University of Tennessee Veterinary School anyway - where I visited some very good doctors, Especially Dr. Tobias and Dr. Almon. They were very nice even tho they stuck me with a LOT of needles and they shaved my tummy for an ultrasound! They were really having a hard time determining exctly what is wrong with me. For a little while they also talked about Addison Disease - so if you want to know about that you can CLICK HERE .
Finally they figured out what is wrong with me.....ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!! Well, that's not entirely true, it seems that I have a very small liver and maybe few problems with digestion. My mommy keeps a close eye on me and controls my food. At first she started home cooking for me - but, I'm really picky and if she added supplements I just wouldn't eat it! The doctors say I do need protein in my diet - but, they don't want me to have red meat. Only Chicken and they try to give me fish - YUCK - I don't like the fish! Now mommy bought some duck with sweet potatoes. I like it so far.....we'll see if I continue. She also bought me some salmon and sweet potato kibble - I DON'T LIKE THAT AT ALL! Now mommy found some 98% Chicken, Turkey and Duck by Wellness - I love it! So she mixes that up with Merrick Turducken Kibble and I'm really eating again.
Everyone is of the notion that what caused my problems was that I ate 2 maybe 3 chews the night before I got sick. It was those digestible chews - apparently they weren't so digestible for dogs with little livers like mine! One thing is for certain - mommy will NEVER give me any of those chews again!
You can read my HISTORY if you like. You can keep up with my progress by reading MY BLOG 
Even tho I'm NOT a liver shunt baby, some of my friends are so I asked mommy to help me create this website so that other doggies who have liver problems can find out a lot of information and also so their humans can know that liver disease is NOT a death sentence. I will put up even more information - in the meantime, have a wonderful doggie day!
If you have a webpage and would like to have it added to my Doggie Friends page - just send me your info
