The liver is the body’s recycling and detoxifying center. In normal dogs, the portal vein carries blood from the digestive tract to the liver where toxins are removed. Then the blood travels to the systemic circulation to nourish the body.
But in some dogs, blood draining the intestinal tract is shunted directly into the systemic circulation, bypassing the liver altogether. Affected dogs often present with neurologic signs due to the toxins in their blood. Portosystemic shunts are often congenital, so the classic presentation is a puppy that acts drunk after eating.
Portosystemic shunts are relatively easy to diagnose. And while treatment may involve abdominal surgery, some cases can be treated with minimally invasive techniques by using interventional radiology to close the shunt.
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