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Puppy with liver shunt & bloated belly: Will he die without surgery?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

We brought our puppy into our vet today. It was determined that he has a liver issue where his liver shunt did not close off when he was born. She suggested a bile test however was certain it was his liver. He has a bloated, tender abdomen and there is fluid surrounding the organs. There is infection and toxin in the fluid. Without specialist surgery to repair the liver, will the puppy die? We are trying to figure out how to do what is best for him.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 18th, 2017

With a liver shunt the puppy will not thrive and eventually will die, especially since he already has severe clinical signs of illness. The liver is the main detoxification organ of the body and when it does not work properly the body slowly poisons itself and will die. So surgery is highly recommended provided there is not already serious damage. I am sorry, that the news is not so good.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    It sounds like your puppy has as portosystemic shunt (PSS). This is a condition where the normal blood flow to the liver is significantly reduced or absent. Without normal blood flow, the puppy's body cannot survive without removal of the metabolic wastes, and it will be fatal eventually. Even if the PSS is mild now, symptoms of it will grow worse as they grow due to the increase in metabolic wastes. In order for your puppy to survive and a chance at a normal life span, the surgery does need to be done.

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