My dogs liver

Question
I have a 2 1/2 year old 70 pound springer lab mix.  Over the past couple of weeks he lost his appetite for his hard food and only wanted soft.  He has become a little aggresive, he shows his teeth and growls at me every now and  then. M boyfriend thought he saw him urinating blood last week. He said it looked like a "red beer".  He also had diarrhea. The vet ran blood work and his liver enzymes were bout 5 to 10 times higher than normal. They are concerned that it is a liver shunt.  I looked at the symptoms for this and I don't think that this is the problem.  My dog isn't a puppy, he is very large, has never been "sickly" and still has tons of energy and spunk.  He also doesn't drink any water anymore. I have to trick him into drinking it.  I was wondering if you had any ideas I could bring up to the vet on any other conditions or if i should really be worried about a liver shunt in my dog.

Answer
Toye,
Did your vet run a urinalysis to check for a bladder infection?  The aggression can be from the pet being in pain, and the going of dry food can be a signal of a problem with the teeth.  Does he have a lot of tartar on his teeth?  He may have an abscessed tooth which is causing the body to not be able to resist other infections.

I really can't say whether or not he has a shunt but it is possible.  A liver shunt is something a pup is born with and it can be dormant for 4-5 years.  Since the blood levels are elevated, it is a possibility.

If you are unsure of your doctor's diagnosis you can go for a second opinion.  If you are concerned it may be the shunt, ask your doctor for a referral to an Internal Medicine specialist and see what they have to say.

Good Luck,

Laura