An ultrasound image of liver shunt

The blood supply to the liver is incorrectly formed and the liver cannot function properly. The malformation may be outside the liver or within the liver itself. In some cases, surgery may rectify the situation but, in more severe cases, this is not possible and the dog may have to be put to sleep.

However, the condition may be managed through diet and the administration of medicines but the success of this depends on the seriousness of the problem in a particular individual.

Liver shunt is recognised as a hereditary problem in a number of breeds but appears to have a very low occurrence in Siberian Huskies - possibly limited to particular lines. The low incidence, while fortunate in one way, also makes identification of carriers and eradication of the problem even more difficult.  

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