Jack, the borzoi, was born Feb. 25, 2022. Many have followed his journey since I introduced the litter. At the time, we weren't sure what was wrong. He struggled early on and was supplemented with goats milk and pedialyte. He would moan like he was in pain and his belly always looked bloated after eating. As he aged, it was apparent he was not developing like his siblings. When he was 9 weeks old we ran a bile acid test on him, which showed his bile acids were very high, indicating he had a possible liver shunt. Since this is not common in Borzoi, I had to reach out to several other dog communities where liver shunts were common.
I scheduled a CT at Animal Surgical Center of Flint when Jack was 11 weeks old. Our suspicions were confirmed, Jack was diagnosed with an intrahepatic liver shunt. He was prescribed lactulose, omeprazole and a prescription liver diet. We were referred to MSU for a consultation with their Interventional Radiology department. During our consult, Dr. Beal was extremely positive that with the coil procedure, Jack would have a long normal life.
More info on coil procedure: Portosystemic liver shunt coil procedure
I started researching options for possible insurances that would cover Jack surgery. The estimate was between $12,000-$15,000. We could continue to medically manage him but the typical life span of a large breed dog with an intrahepatic liver shunt is typically 2-3 years. I found that AKC had a HereditaryPlus add-on for their basic insurance policy. I immediately enrolled Jack, after speaking with a representative. The only drawback was we had to wait 365 days before anything shunt related would be covered.
That brings us to now. Jack has done so well being medically managed but he still has bad days. The bad days remind me that there still is something wrong, the shunt didn’t just magically heal itself. Good days you will find him bouncing, running and playing with his yard mates. He still lives a normal borzoi life and has never been restricted from anything except food and treats. He spends most of his days playing with his siblings and cousins. The bad days, luckily are still rare but when he has them he is somewhat lethargic and will stumble around or sleep most of the day. No matter how he's feeling he always finds a way to put a smile on my face. He is the sweetest, silliest, yet most stubborn borzoi I've every had the pleasure to own. All 98 lbs of him. He has a wonderful guardian, Yelena. While he still spends most of his time here at Starswift, she has done a lot of his socializing and training. He's gone on lots of fun adventures and she always spoils him.
At the beginning of July, Jack went to MSU to meet Dr. Beal and had a 2nd CT scan to measure his shunt for a custom stent. We also recieved great news that his liver, itself, looked good. Waiting a year can sometimes change the surgical outcome. In some cases the liver fails to grow with the dog and surgery is no longer an option. I recieved a call Aug. 31st that the stent had arrived and Jack is officially scheduled for his procedure on Oct. 2! I am filled with so many emotions right now. I have been part of a FB support group, which has helped. So many dogs have gone on to live long happy, normal lives after their surgeries. Jack has always been a fighter, so I'd expect the same outcome for him.
I just want to extend a huge THANK YOU to everyone for their love and support of Jack. Many people keep telling me I'm crazy for doing what I'm doing, but if you have ever met Jack or you follow me on social media, you know what a big personality he has and how special he is to us.
