Companion Animals

Portosystemic Shunt in Dogs: Welfare and Surgical Correction

How liver shunts cause welfare problems in young dogs and how surgical correction helps.

Key Facts

Portosystemic shunts divert blood from the portal circulation to the systemic circulation
Causes hepatic encephalopathy — confusion, circling, seizures, and stunted growth
Yorkshire Terriers, Maltese, and Cairn Terriers are most affected for congenital extrahepatic shunts
Surgical attenuation offers cure — prognosis is excellent with early treatment

Welfare Considerations

Portosystemic shunts cause episodic neurological welfare compromise — confusion, behavioural change, and seizures cause distress and danger. Medical management with lactulose and restricted protein diet stabilises welfare before surgery. Surgical attenuation is the definitive welfare-improving treatment — most dogs become neurologically normal after recovery. Early diagnosis and surgery before secondary hepatic changes occur optimises outcome.

What You Can Do

Investigate small, slow-growing puppies or those with neurological signs for PSS
Pursue surgical correction as early as possible — medical management is a bridge, not a solution
Work with a specialist surgeon experienced in shunt attenuation for best outcomes