undersized sheltie

[Guest Anonymous]

Hi, I have an 8 month old female sheltie that is tiny (8lbs.) She was the smallest in her litter but is normal in every other way. When I had her spayed the surgeon mentioned how small she was and inquired about the size of her parents (both 14 inches). She said that a liver shunting problem could become apparent as she gets older but she is probably just fine. I will have her reevaluated by her internist next month but wonder if any of you have seen a little one like this.

Thanks.

[Guest roo]

Did you ask the vet what made her think she may develop liver shunt as she grew up? :roll: It seems realy strange to me to say that and then give no reason, is liver shunt common in shelties? I had not heard it was? :o
or is she just saying it because she is undersized, please let us know how you get on.
Roo :lol:

[Guest Anonymous]

I know with my Cocker (who is small) the vet mentioned something about a liver shunt being possible. When she was born she was about the size of my palm..She has grown but is still not Cocker size...She was reevaluated and no liver shunt problem. She is just small..

I am not sure if it is neccesarily a breed thing but a dog thing..It is looked for in extremely undersized dogs.. Someone correct me if I am wrong... Maybe she is just going to be a small dog(like my Cocker, whos name is Itty Bitty because she is so small). :wink: Do keep us posted!! :D

[Guest roo]

A friend of mine did a lot of researching into liver shunt a few years ago in the breed she had, although not always it seemed that it was In certain blood lines of this breed, she kept her boy for 8 years, but in the end he was brain damaged aswell, i have also encountered it in a young bitch, she was not undersized at all, it was not heard of in the breed!!!!! but the owner lost her at 1 year old and 4 days, as a pup of 2 weeks her dam lay on her and she was pulled out straight away, taken to the vets, who put her on oxygen for a minute or two, she was from that day named Angel.
I still wonder to this day if her mother instinctively knew this pup was not quite right?
Roo

[Guest Anonymous]

small shelties are not that rare they usually are the runt of a litter and most times live a long and healthy life
I once had a litter of four of the tiniest puppies I had ever seen but they all survived to between 7 &11 years, Must have weighed about the same as yours .Another from a different litter was very good in the obedience ring and she was only 11 inches hich
Have not heard liver shunt in the breed in the 28 years I have had the breed

[Guest roo]

Has she had any strange turns? do certain foods make her go odd?

[Guest Anonymous]

roo napisał(a):

A friend of mine did a lot of researching into liver shunt a few years ago in the breed she had, although not always it seemed that it was In certain blood lines of this breed, she kept her boy for 8 years, but in the end he was brain damaged aswell, i have also encountered it in a young bitch, she was not undersized at all, it was not heard of in the breed!!!!! but the owner lost her at 1 year old and 4 days, as a pup of 2 weeks her dam lay on her and she was pulled out straight away, taken to the vets, who put her on oxygen for a minute or two, she was from that day named Angel.
I still wonder to this day if her mother instinctively knew this pup was not quite right?
Roo

Funny you should say that Roo because I believe that mothers know when a pup will not make it or something is wrong. I have witnessed a mother push a pup to the front of a whelp box away from the rest of a litter as if to say it was not right or not hers. It was sick and died. I believe they know when the pups are ill even if wee cannot see it. That is my opinion of course. :wink: