Liver Shunts in Dogs: The Real Problem Isn’t the shunt
What In The Woof Is A Liver Shunt?
A liver shunt (also called a portosystemic shunt) might sound scary—but it’s not a random defect.
It’s actually your dog’s body trying to save their life.
Here’s how it works:
One task the liver performs is to filter toxins and waste out of the bloodstream.
Every drop of blood from the digestive system is meant to pass through the liver before continuing to the rest of the body.
But when the liver is unhealthy—clogged, sluggish, or overwhelmed—blood can’t flow through it properly.
This creates dangerous pressure in the vessels leading to the liver.
If that pressure gets too high, it can become life-threatening.
So, what does your dog’s amazing body do?
It creates a new route—called a liver shunt (sometimes more than one, or even tiny microvascular ones)—to bypass the liver entirely.
This detour relieves the pressure and keeps your dog alive.
The shunt isn’t a flaw.
It’s an emergency measure, a survival move.
Without it, your dog might not make it.
Why Your Dog’s Body Chose to Grow One!
The body doesn’t do anything by accident.
It didn’t just wake up one day and say,
“Hmm, I think I’ll grow an extra hepatic blood vessel today.”
Nope.
The shunt forms because the liver is too unhealthy to handle normal blood flow—and your dog’s body is doing everything it can to avoid a crisis.
👉 So the shunt isn’t the problem—it’s the result of a deeper problem: an overwhelmed, unhealthy liver.
The Liver Shunt Isn't The Villian
In most cases, the focus becomes all about managing or removing the shunt.
But here’s what often gets missed:
👉 Why did the liver stop working well in the first place?
If the liver was functioning efficiently, there would be no need for a shunt.
Focusing only on the shunt is like bailing water from a sinking boat—while ignoring the hole in the bottom.
To truly support your dog, we have to look deeper and restore what’s underneath it all: liver health.
Surgery? Risks, Costs, & What You Aren't Told
Conventional care usually recommends surgery: close the shunt, force blood back into the liver, and hope the liver adjusts.
But here’s what many pawrents aren’t told:
It’s risky. Anesthesia is tough on any body, but for a dog with compromised liver health, it becomes even more challenging. The liver has to process those drugs, and when it’s already under stress, this can be overwhelming for the system.
It doesn’t fix the root problem. Forcing blood into an unhealthy liver doesn’t make it function better.
It’s costly. Surgery and follow-up care can cost thousands.
It may not last. Many dogs regrow shunts within months - because the body is still trying to survive the same underlying problem.
So after all that….you might still end up right where you started!
There's A Smarter & Kinder Way
Instead of shutting down the body’s survival instincts, what if we worked with the body?
By focusing on:
🌿 Supporting and cleansing the liver
🥬 Feeding living, enzyme-rich, real foods
💧 Hydrating with clean water
⚖️ Reducing internal pressure and inflammation naturally
⚡ Adding high-quality plant enzymes and liver-supporting superfoods
...we help the liver do it's job again. And once that happens? The body no longer. needs the shunt.
We’ve helped 💯s of dogs with liver shunts do just that - gently and naturally- and we’re here to help yours too.
Final Thoughts: Hope, Healing & Happy Tails
If your dog has been diagnosed with a liver shunt, don’t panic-and don’t let fear push you into a quick-fix decision.
A liver shunt doesn’t mean it’s the end. And it doesn’t have to mean surgery either.
There is another way. A smarter, more supportive way that works with your dog’s body—not against it.
✨ You’re not alone.
✨ There is hope.
✨ And your dog deserves the best chance at a thriving, joyful life.
Reach out to us—we’re here to help. 💛