Our Dog's Portosystemic Shunt Experience: A Surprising Weight Gain with Royal Canin Hepatic

Hello everyone!

Warning: I've changed the title, rating, and opinion about the food twice. You can find out why.

Initially, the title was 'Be careful with the normative feeding' and the rating was '4'.

The second title became 'Portosystemic shunt in a dog: operating late, but supporting health with vet diets. Review updated'.

After trying other foods and seeing the change in my dog's well-being, I've lowered the rating of Royal Canin Hepatic to '3'.

I'll attach the new text at the end.

Until my last vet visit, I thought I had the sickest dog. It turns out, it's not that bad. I mean, we've got our own problems: kidney stones, and recently, liver issues. Other owners are dealing with heart issues, strokes, arthritis, even cancer.

Our pets become part of the family, and we'll do anything to save them.

Our mini schnauzer has a portosystemic shunt in all the tests. As a result, he's suffering from liver insufficiency. We found out about the diagnosis recently.

Portosystemic shunts are abnormal vascular connections that occur between the hepatic portal vein and the systemic circulation.

These pathological anastomoses divert blood flow from the GI tract directly into the systemic circulation, bypassing the liver, thus limiting its metabolism and detoxification of metabolic products.

It also disrupts the barrier functions that protect the body from pathogenic gut bacteria.

When my dog had a liver issue, it was clear that his body was being affected by toxic products, which manifested in some pretty obvious symptoms of liver insufficiency.

So, as part of his treatment, we were prescribed a special vet-recommended diet from Royal Canin Hepatic. It's often prescribed for dogs with liver problems.

Now, let me tell you a story that's been going on for about 4.5 years, all about the food and the illness. If you just want to know about the food, skip to ☔.

When my dog was still a pup, his breeder recommended Hill's food, and he loved it.

Later, we switched to Go and Now, and he ate those just fine too.

But then, he got sick.

He had a major operation to remove stones from his bladder (it was completely blocked, and catheterization wasn't helping), and the vet recommended Purina Pro Plan for liver issues. He ate one small pack, and it seemed to work.

But when he had the second pack, he wouldn't eat it, and he even threw up.

After that, my dog got a bit picky. Corgis are known for being super smart and quirky, and often you can catch them analyzing things in their own special way.

This guy was thinking too muchBut this time, his thoughts led to trouble. He stopped drinking water (apparently, he linked it to the issue of urinary retention).

I'd approach a full bowl or a 5-liter water bottle, stand there for a bit, or press against it and leave. This quirk of his just didn't mesh with the dry food diet. I ended up having to syringe-feed him, or make a sugar-free compote from dry fruits, or give him diluted milk.

Our food saga wasn't over yet. We had to switch him to a raw diet. Although the vet advised against it, it was a necessary measure since the dog refused to eat his food and drink water, and kidney stones still formed after three months.

Breakfasts and dinners were prepared according to all the dog's norms. We'd buy beef. Add veggies, parsley, rice, low-fat cottage cheese, and 1% kefir, and so on.

However, the problem of removing kidney stones from the bladder was eventually solved after another year. But only after the second urethrostomy operation.

Yay! Don't worry, it's not all bad! The ultrasound six months later showed that the stones weren't forming anymore. So, the vet, who's a proponent of dry food, finally gave in and told us to stick with the raw diet. After all, it had given us positive results.

I've got to be honest, after a year had passed since the second surgery, my dog's health issues started to resurface. He'd get these episodes of vomiting and lethargy. He'd drag himself around, refusing to go for walks, and would often pace around the house at night, even standing over my sleeping husband as if asking for help.

Back to the vet we went, with more tests, IVs, and antibiotics. And of course, the special food.

☔

We started with a 1.5 kg pack as a trial, and my dog loved it! So, we ordered a 6 kg pack, and then another one a few months later. The HepaticRoyal Canin food is recommended for three months, and the serving size is based on your dog's weight.

As for the packaging, it's a sealed, double-ziplocked bag that's easy to see through. The instructions and ingredients are listed on the pack.

Here's the ingredient list:

Dry Food:

Rice, corn, animal fats, soy protein isolate, animal-derived protein hydrolysate, beet pulp, minerals, soybean oil, plant fiber, fish oil, fructooligosaccharides, and extract of upright marigold (a source of lutein).

Supplements (per kg):

Vitamin A: 11,600 IU, Vitamin D3: 1,000 IU, Iron: 115 mg, Iodine: 4.3 mg, Manganese: 53 mg, Zinc: 212 mg, Selenium: 0.38 mg.

Indications:

Liver diseaseChronic hepatitisPortacaval shuntingLiver encephalopathyLiver insufficiencyMetal metabolism disordersPiroplasmosisContraindications

Pregnancy, lactation, growthPancreatitis (including previous episodes)HyperlipidemiaI've noticed the feeding guidelines are listed on the packaging, so don't try to overfeed your pup. Yes, keep the kibble away from your furry little vacuum cleaner, because, let's be real, it's not like they need any help getting to the good stuff.

At the bottom of the package, you'll find the production date, shelf life, and manufacturer's details.

One thing that caught my attention is that the first 6 kg batch seemed less appetizing (judging by my dog's behavior) and less palatable (judging by the smell and color of the kibble). Of course, I had to try it out for myself to be sure (because, you know, I'm a responsible dog owner).

The bottom batch with the earlier production date was actually tastier)The kibble itself is made up of porous, slightly moist, and slightly oily little balls.

We were thrilled that our pup was enjoying the kibble so much, so we stuck to the recommended serving size of 150 grams per day. But then we started noticing our dog was putting on a bit of weight, so we had to reduce the serving size to the lower limit, and now we're on a diet of 130 grams per day.

Feeding Standards

Pros of the Food

The food's balanced therapeutic composition has been a game-changer for our dog. In combination with treatment, it's allowed her to enjoy life and bring joy to us with her presence. Some of her lab results have even improved.

It's triggered a devilish appetite and weight gain in our dog. (Now, a flight in the airplane is definitely off the table. I regret buying that special dog carrier.)

As soon as we finish this bag, we'll head to the vet for advice on replacing this food. I wouldn't rule out coming back to it in the future.

Unfortunately, the doctors didn't catch the shunt issue right away, which might have spared us two surgeries and allowed us to operate on her liver instead.

The shunt is notoriously difficult to diagnose and doesn't show up well on ultrasounds. To make matters worse, the lab results didn't give us any cause for concern. One of the top UZI specialists in the city first suspected the issue, but we really hoped it wasn't that. A second vet specialist examined our dog and advised against the shunt surgery. If our dog were younger, under two years old, we might have had a better chance. But our dog is five years old now. The odds of her surviving the surgery and recovery are 50/50.

So, we'll just have to live with what we have and feed her vet-recommended food from now on.

Now that I've shared my experience with this toy, I can confidently say my dog is ready to play even when they're not feeling well.

I hope your furry friends never get sick, but if they do, I wish them the best vets and a speedy recovery.

And may they always bring you joy and minimal stress!

Updated July 23, 2019.

As I mentioned earlier

I wasn't ruling out the possibility of going back to this food later.

Well, that's exactly what happened. We bought a small pack of Hill's for liver health. He ate it normally at first. Hill's seemed more oily to us. So, we bought a bigger pack. He ate it for 5-6 days, then suddenly stopped. Vomiting, lethargy, he didn't want to go out, and he was up all night. We thought we'd have to go through the whole ordeal again: IVs, expensive meds, time (which is just as costly), or even surgery with a 50% survival rate.

He didn't eat for 3 days. We had to force-feed him with a syringe. We tried to get him to eat, but he just wouldn't look at his food.

We decided to go back to his old food, Hepatic Royal Canin. But, as luck would have it, it was out of stock in our area. So, we had to buy a temporary substitute in Moscow - a wet food for dogs with digestive issues. It worked wonders and brought his appetite back.

The next day, we bought a small pack of Hepatic Royal Canin upon our return to the city. The result:

My dog was back to his old self!

Considering my dog's behavior and our distress during those 3 days of starvation, this food was a lifesaver and a guarantee of peace of mind.

Thanks for sticking with me. If there's another story related to this food and my dog's health, I'll definitely update this review with it.

I'm recommending this food and bumping up the rating to "5"⬆

Review updated on 20.10.2019

My dog really gorged on this food, even though we're only giving them the minimum amount for their weight. They're sleeping a lot, and I don't see them getting restless or wanting to play as much.

But then we noticed redness on their belly at the end of the last package. We thought it might be an allergy, so we started searching for a new food right away.

Check out my review of the Bosch Light food instead. It's a great low-calorie option for adult dogs prone to obesity.

Since my dog has already eaten one package, I can make some conclusions.

This new Bosch food is really working to reduce my dog's weight and has helped them feel great after dealing with liver issues.

I'm intentionally lowering the rating to "3" for one main reason:

This food causes weight gain, which leads to lethargy and fatigue.

I'm updating this review after my dog's successful surgery to install a shunt.

We started giving them this dry food after a severe case of wet hepatitis that almost took them out. There's a review of that food in my profile – I highly recommend it 100% for wet food.

We switched to dry food to help my dog regain 30% of the weight they lost during the liver disease flare-up.

The packaging is airtight, closes and opens perfectly Inside, however, the food remains the same.Daily ration of 149 grams I'll say one thing - we bought it for a reason, and it delivered. Feeding tableOur dog ate 2 packs of 1.5 kg each over 30 days, gradually started gaining weight. But to prevent the dog from getting fat, we stopped buying this food.

I'll say it straight out - I recommend Royal Canin Hepatic, but with a caveat.

But if you understand that your dog's sides are getting fat, it's not because of a disease or metabolic disorder, it's probably because of the food. Look for another one.

I'm looking, and I share the information about my findings here. Don't miss out - subscribe.

Thanks for reading☺