A SPECIAL DOG

As many of you know, Sami has been having trouble health-wise for a couple of months. We knew we were nailing it down to something to do with his liver, and were hoping that it would be something that was "fixable".

To help us pinpoint the diagnosis, Sami was referred by his vet to the Canada West Veterinary Specialists clinic in Vancouver at the beginning of December. We went over to consult with the internal medicine specialist and to have an in-depth ultrasound completed by their radiologist. Enough wonky things showed up on his ultrasound that it was recommended that the only way to truly get a handle on what was going on was to have Sami have exploratory surgery. He had his surgery the next day. The surgeon could find nothing structural and fixable—such as a hepatic shunt—that would explain his liver dysfunction, but the liver definitely looked abnormal. Sami had biopsies taken from his liver and his small intestine, and some of his bile was taken to be cultured. The surgery also showed that he had several small shunts developing, as his body tried to re-route blood past his malfunctioning liver.

It took a week or so to get back all his results. First back were the bile cultures, which showed three different bacteria were present. None of the three were bacteria that were responsive to the antibiotic he was already on, so he was switched to two other antibiotics. He's also on another drug to help support his liver function. A few days after the bile culture results, his biopsy results came back. They basically showed that he had a very scarred liver—the equivalent of an elderly dog with long-term liver disease. What caused this? According to the specialist, we'll likely never know. It was likely a bacteria or virus that he was somehow exposed to and didn't have the wherewithal to combat it. It might be that he somehow just never had a strong immune system, as whatever he was exposed to, his housemates and littermates were also exposed to but none of them became ill. (In speaking with someone on Saturday, that possibility of a compromised immune system was also brought up, in regards to some recent research concerning purebred dogs—in which evidence of just such a situation was beginning to surface more and more often...so this may very well be what has happened to Sami...but as the vet said, we'll probably never really know.)

The bottom line is, sadly, that Sami won't be with us for the long haul. With supportive care and a special diet, he could live happily and comfortably for a few months, maybe a year. We just don't know. Or maybe he'll be a miracle puppy and just keep chugging along for several years. As long as he has a good quality of life, we'll travel this journey with him for as long as he has. He is a very special little dog.

Now that his stitches are out from his stem-to-stern incision from his exploratory operation, we'll start getting him out doing regular doggie things like the Saturday trail walks. We haven't been going on these since he arrived in the household, at first because he hadn't had all his shots and then because he was ill. So Abby and Zack have been cooling their heels for a couple of months as well, and are itching to get back with their trail buddies. Abby, in particular, would benefit from getting back to this activity...she's getting a tad on the chunky side! Sami won't be able to walk the whole distance that the other two can, so I've gotten him a sling pouch that he can retreat to and be carried whenever he needs a rest.