In some animals the signs are associated with or aggravated by eating protein. Other less common signs include excessive drinking or urinating, apparent blindness, diarrhoea and vomiting. What are the clinical signs of a portosystemic shunt?Ĭlinical signs in congenital cases are often seen at a young age and include small stature, poor muscle development, behavioural abnormalities (walking around in circles, disorientation, unresponsiveness, a quiet demeanour, staring into space, pressing of the head against surfaces) and seizures. ![]() Additionally, affected individuals lack the necessary substances to give a ready source of energy, resulting in poor or stunted growth. The progressive build up of toxins in the bloodstream often results in nervous symptoms (so-called hepatic encephalopathy). ![]() The presence of a portosystemic shunt bypasses the normal portal blood flow to the liver, and in congenital cases this results in the development of a small liver (known as hepatic hypoplasia) and the progressive shrinkage of the liver (hepatic atrophy). Maintenance of a normal liver is largely determined by the blood flow through the portal vein. The liver stores some of the food for energy, uses some of it to make proteins and other substances, and processes any toxic chemicals to make them safe. ![]() In the normal individual, nutrients and toxins (poisons) that are absorbed from the intestines are cleared from the circulation when they are passed through the liver via the portal vein, which runs from the intestines into the liver. What are the problems associated with blood shunting? The condition may be either a birth defect – a congenital portosystemic shunt, or may be acquired – commonly associated with chronic disease of the liver such as cirrhosis (scarring of the liver). A portosystemic (liver) shunt is a blood vessel anomaly that results in blood from the abdominal organs (small bowel, large bowel, stomach, etc.) being diverted to the heart and bypassing the liver.
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