a vet claims a pups I sold has a liver shunt, but all the facts I know about this condition tend to send a red flag. I thought they went into convulsions as soon as the go from momma's mild to food, and die soon after. This pup is 11 weeks. Is it possible?

Yes this is possible to show up after weaning but I don't know the genetics. The one we had in rescue never went into convulsions, but did have weird neuro signs, including transient vision problems. He lived, with proper treatment after diagnosis, until about 2.5 years of age, and was even neutered with care given to his issues. Some dogs live much longer, but he didn't, even with a university vet school instructor as his new owner. See the link for his photo and story.

The vet can do a bile acid test, which will show abnormal results. I would do an ultrasound to rule out other causes. It needs to be done by a fairly good specialty vet, from what I knew then.

We have one now. He is 4.5 months now. When he was born he was normal, all the pups weighed 15-16 oz. At about a week old we noticed that his poop was bright green and waxy looking. He was vigorous and nursed well, slept fine, jerked like all the other puppies. He stopped gaining like his sibs so I started to make sure he got extra time with mom. At about 2 weeks I started supplementing him with formula that also had melted digestive enzymes in it. He acted like he was starving no matter how often he nursed or was given a bottle. He was still strong met milestones just fine. His stool was still bright green to sometimes white and waxy. As soon as he was weaned his stools turned brown. I thought we were home free. At about 7 weeks he couldn't get up or stumbled all over. The vet put him on Primor due to an elevated white count. After 24 hours he was back on his feet and joined the group. He was on the antibiotic for 10 days. All was fine for about a week and he crashed again. Repeat the Primor and he was fine. I had been worried about a shunt for a long time so we had his bile acid checked and it was elevated. He has been able to stay off the antibiotic until today, he crashed again. Even at play he is weak in the rear but keep going. We have him on low protein food and digestive enzymes with each meal. It is a sad thing and we don't know how long he will be with us. Surgery and testing would put us into the $1000 of dollars with no guarantee that it would be fixed or that he would have a normal life span. We are going to try to manage him medically. He may need daily antibiotics to keep bacteria out of his systems since his liver can't clear the nitrogen and ammonia the bacteria makes

They don't necessarily have to have seizures to show neurological problems. The stumbling, not being able to stand, eyes look like they aren't seeing correctly. If left alone and not given antibiotics our little boy might have seizures but hasn't so far. The surgeon I talked to said that in small breeds there seems to be a genetic link but in larger breeds not. The smaller breeds are more prone to having shunts outside the liver which are more easily tied off. In larger breeds they have them inside the liver which can't really be fixed. So even though it is a congenital defect at birth it has the possibility of being genetic

I have seen this in my other breed- the Bernese Mtn dog.
here is an informative link :

♦ PORTOSYSTEMIC SHUNT (PSS) [LIVER SHUNT] ♦
ABOUT THIS DISEASE
Portosystemic shunt (PSS) is a devastating congenital condition which affects the liver. There are different types of shunts; congenital portosystemic shunt (CPSS) and primary portal vein hypoplasia (PPVH).
The liver is essential in removing many toxins formed in the intestines. Blood from the portal vein is essential for normal liver growth and function. In a dog with a liver shunt, blood from the portal vein does not reach the liver. As a consequence, the liver does not grow to a size commensurate with the body's needs. In the case of a shunt, toxins bypass the filtering processes of the liver to reach the systemic blood circulation and ultimately the brain. One of the most damaging of neurotoxins is ammonia, which when it reaches the brain disrupts normal brain function. Symptoms of liver shunts in dogs usually show up at an early age. In some cases, signs of a canine liver shunt don't show up until a dog is older, when kidney and bladder problems, such as stones, develop.
Liver Shunt symptoms include: Depression, failure to grow at a normal rate, behavioral changes (staring into space, circling, and disorientation), weakness or lethargy, seizures, inability to gain weight, too much weight gain, vomiting and diarrhea
Surgery is the only long-term treatment, but is not always successful. In Bernese Mountain Dogs the abnormal blood vessel typically lies inside the liver. Such shunts are called intrahepatic Portosystemic shunts (IHPSS).
ABOUT THE LIVER SHUNT RESEARCH PROJECT
Research Organization: Utrecht University, Netherlands
Contact Information: Netherlands & Europe
Jan Rothuizen, Professor of Internal Medicine of Companion Animals
University Utrecht
PO Box 80154
3508 TD Utrecht
Email Address: J.Rothuizen@vet.uu.nl
Project Web Site: Not applicable

ABOUT THIS RESEARCH PROJECT
Dr. Jan Rothuizen at the Utrecht University, Netherlands, is working with the Dutch BMDC to find a genetic marker for intrahepatic portosystemic shunts in BMDs so that breeders can determine whether dogs carry this defective gene.
Research at the University of Utrecht (Netherlands) has shown that intrahepatic shunts in Irish wolfhounds are caused by a genetic defect which has an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. Further research on the condition in BMD's may make it possible to determine the mode of inheritance and eventually establish a genetic test for intrahepatic shunts in our breed, which will allow breeders to make sound breeding decisions to minimize the incidence of the condition.
WHAT IS NEEDED? (IF YOU PARTICIPATE)
To isolate the gene causing this disease, the researchers need blood from affected dogs, their parents, and as many littermates as possible.
To participate please provide:
• 4 to 8 ml of blood in EDTA coated tubes (purple top) from the affected dog and as many relatives as possible sent via express mail;
• Veterinarian's report on the diagnosis of the shunt (blood test for ammonia, radiograph, surgery, etc);
• Pedigree of the affected dog;
Prior to sending your dog's sample and information, please notify in advance via e-mail Dr. Washabau (for N. American samples) or Dr. Rothuizen (for samples from outside N. America).
♦ EPILEPSY ♦
ABOUT THIS DISEASE
Epilepsy (sometimes referred to as a seizure disorder) is a common chronic neurological disorder that is characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms due to abnormal, excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Epilepsy is usually controlled, but not cured, with medication. Epilepsy should not be understood as a single disorder, but rather as a group of syndromes with vastly divergent symptoms but all involving episodic abnormal electrical activity in the brain.
ABOUT THE CANINE EPILEPSY RESEARCH PROJECT
♦ PROGRESSIVE RETINAL ATROPHY (PRA) ♦
ABOUT THIS DISEASE
Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is a long recognized hereditary, blinding disorder. It is inherited as a simple autosomal recessive in most breeds. The first modern description of this problem was in Gordon Setters in Europe, in 1911, but since then PRA has been recognized in most purebred dogs.
ABOUT THE PROGRESSIVE RETINAL ATROPHY PROJECT

update on out Liver Shunt Boy. It has taken him 5 days on the antibiotic to come around. Usually it is 24 hours. Tonight he turned the corner and wanted to play, was walking on all 4 legs without losing his balance. He seems to be aware of his surroundings. Earlier I really thought if he didn't come around soon it would be the time to make a decision to let him go. I talked to the Vet and she said that we can give him canned pumpkin to help move things along in his digestive tract or give him Lactulose. I don't want him to get diarrhea though. Sweet boy, he is getting a little spoiled. Hopefully tomorrow he can go out and play with his sisters. I asked the Vet about his having pain and she said it isn't totally benign and any swelling in the brain would cause him to be very uncomfortable. I pray we don't get there. Also one of his early symptoms was restlessness. I would watch him out the window and he would walk up and down the fence, lay down, get up walk a little, lay down again, get up walk the other direction then repeat this for about 15 min. He couldn't get comfortable. I remember seeing this in a video about shunts. Pacing, getting lost, getting stuck in corners is common too