Portosystemic Shunts in Cats: Liver Welfare and Surgery
Portosystemic shunts cause progressive neurological and liver welfare problems in cats. This guide covers diagnosis, welfare, and treatment.
Key Facts
A PSS is an abnormal blood vessel bypassing the liver and causing toxin accumulation
Signs include small body size, poor growth, neurological episodes, and urinary crystals
Extrahepatic shunts (outside the liver) are most common in cats
Hepatic encephalopathy causes episodic confusion, seizures, and blindness
Surgical ligation is the treatment of choice offering the possibility of cure
Medical management with dietary protein restriction and lactulose helps stabilise before surgery
Welfare Considerations and Management
Welfare-centred PSS management requires stabilisation before surgical correction. Protein-restricted diets reduce ammonia production; lactulose acidifies colonic contents reducing ammonia absorption. Antibiotics reduce urease-producing gut bacteria. Surgical ligation (partial then complete) diverts blood through the liver restoring normal metabolism. Post-operative monitoring for portal hypertension is critical. Most cats show significant improvement after successful surgery.
What You Can Do
Stabilise with protein restriction and lactulose before pursuing surgery
Seek specialist surgical assessment from a surgeon experienced in shunt ligation
Monitor carefully post-operatively for portal hypertension complications
Most cats improve significantly after successful shunt closure