We would like to send belated Congratulations to Maria and Maurice on their recent wedding on a very special communal occasion!
Some of you may have seen or heard on the News, covered by the BBC, about the ‘100 Weddings in a Day’ celebration at Marylebone Old Town Hall in London, that took place on October 1st.
It took place throughout the whole day, from 8am to 10.30pm. Maria and Maurice were wedding no.99 and to make their ceremony complete they were joined by their 3 PDWRA rescue pugs, Twiggy, Harley & Jojo!
Maurice sent us this video from BBC News that shows them being interviewed as they were leaving after the ceremony. If you’d like to see Maria, Maurice and their pugs on the BBC, just click the link below to go to our Youtube page –
This is not a condition that is over-represented in pugs, unlike many of the conditions that I have written articles on, though having seen a couple of cases of PSS in PDWRA pugs this year, I thought it was a good time to write an article on it.
A Portosystemic shunt (PSS) is where an abnormal vessel goes directly from the intestine into the main circulation, bypassing the liver.
The liver processes nutrients as well as removes toxins, and with a shunt, most of the blood bypasses the liver and flows back to the heart, where it is pumped round the body.
Generally speaking, the type of shunt seen in pugs tend to be congenital (born with the abnormality) and extra-hepatic, meaning accessible outside the liver.
Clinical signs of a PSS are a consequence of the blood bypassing the liver, with toxic substances pumped round the body, including to the brain.
Dogs with a PSS can be small for their age, and often are the ‘runt’ of the litter because of reduced nutrition. Symptoms can occur gradually, with excess drinking (and urinating), and altered (neurological) behaviour such as lethargy and apparent blindness, culminating in seizures.
Diagnosis
Blood samples are usually taken if an animal is showing suspicious clinical signs. Routine blood biochemistry results are often suggestive of a PSS allowing further more specific blood samples determining bile acid levels to be taken before and after feeding. Ultrasound examination of the abdomen often allows the shunt to be identified, or where a shunt is not visible ultrasound can show changes consistent with a shunt.
Treatment
If a shunt is left untreated, the dog will eventually die from the condition.
PSS can be treated either medically or surgically, however the older the animal, the poorer the prognosis following surgery, although surgical correction is the treatment of choice.
Medical management is aimed a reducing the symptoms caused by the shunt rather than treating the shunt itself. Feeding these animals a diet low in protein is the mainstay of medical management. This decreases the amount of toxic substances being absorbed from the gut and entering the main circulation via the shunt. Diet selection is important to ensure animals still receive adequate ‘essential’ proteins for growth and general health. Antibiotics and lactulose are also used to lessen toxin production and absorption. Most animals are stabilised on medical management for several weeks prior to surgery. Those animals which are not suitable for surgery, for example older animals, can be maintained on this treatment long-term however they are likely to have a limited life span.
The surgery for a shunt is very challenging and will require a specialist soft tissue surgeon to undertake. The aim is to find the shunt and close this down so allowing all the blood draining from the gut to be routed correctly through the liver substance for processing. However, closing the shunt completely during surgery is only possible in approximately 15% of animals. In the majority of animals, the normal vessels to the liver are under-developed and are unable to cope with the additional blood flow.
Closing the shunt suddenly in these animals would cause major problems with shock and potentially death, therefore the shunt is usually only partially closed and then allow the animal to recover from the procedure. Over the first 3 months post-operatively there is some ongoing closure of the shunt in many animals the shunt will eventually close. This is not always the case and additional surgeries may be needed. Dogs are monitored following the surgery with repeated bile acid tests.
Unfortunately, some animals are not able to fully develop a normal blood supply into their liver despite surgery to close the shunt and some blood will therefore always pass through the shunt. These animals can do well despite this, although some need extra medical management.
In summary, a portosystemic shunt is a serious condition that can lead to death if untreated.
The ideal way to treat is with early surgical intervention, however it is not without risk, and requires a specialist surgeon. Lifelong management is often required.
It is therefore also a very expensive condition to treat and manage, the cost of which would likely be prohibitive without insurance.
It’s so hard to believe that Doris has been with us for 11 years now, I’m not quite sure where the time has gone! On reflection, so much has happened in that time – house moves, marriages, the arrival of two human brothers, a global pandemic and the sad loss of her furry pug brother Oscar to name but a few of the events. Doris has been there to support us through.
We originally applied to PDWRA to offer a home to a puglet in need but mainly as a companion for Oscar who we sadly lost in 2021. We simply searched for pug rescues on the internet and PDWRA was the first result. The application process was very straightforward – completing an online form about our home, our set up, personal circumstances and reasons why we felt we would make suitable adoptive pug parents. We are lucky that Rory (my husband) can work from home and so there is someone at home 99% of the time.
Rory and I had purchased Oscar as a puppy, our first “baby” but this didn’t sit right with me. I suppose looking back, I felt a sense of guilt. Growing up in a family of animal lovers, we never had purchased a creature before – but had cared for many waifs, strays and rescues that had fallen our way, so I felt the urge to rescue as well. I felt we could offer a secure and loving home for a pug in need. Being a community nurse and having researched heavily into pugs prior to purchasing Oscar, I also felt that I could cope with and offer a pug with additional health concerns and had added this to the online application. We waited for a while until a puglet was matched to our little family of 3, but by then, we had become a family of 4 having also rescued a Patterdale terrier/Dachshund called Millie.
I received the call from PDWRA whilst out on shift to suggest that there was a match for us and were we free for a home-check with a view to having an addition to our family. Our conversation over dinner that evening was interesting. “How was your day? Can you pass the garlic bread? Oh, we are having a home-check at the weekend by the PDWRA!”. Suddenly the prospect of having 3 dogs instead of 2 became a bit daunting – I mean it wouldn’t be that much more work – surely?! I was very much mistaken!
We passed the home-check and Doris soon arrived courtesy of a lovely lady, Janet, as her chauffeur. She was a tiny little girl, not quite a year old and looked very moth-eaten. I fell in love with her instantly. We had been informed that she had a skin condition called Demodectic mange which would need intensive treatment and close monitoring with a vet. The treatment regime was definitely intense. “Sorry, no you can’t pop round tonight, I’m busy washing my dog” became a regular reason to avoid social contact!! Multiple baths per week with medicated shampoo, topical medications and good high quality nutrition became the strict regime. In the end, and following a labour of love, it was a medication licensed for sheep that finally got rid of the little mites that had been irritating her little body.
Doris had clearly been very much loved as she arrived with a little letter, a bed with blankets, and 2 large bags of toys and goodies. She also came to us with a Polish passport – this language barrier soon became an excuse for her behaviour as the weeks went on!
Her cheeky side flourished as she got better and more confident and she would get away with all sorts of mischief – “she doesn’t understand” as the excuse. Internet searches of translations of phrases from English to Polish became the norm in a bid to get though to her! I’m certain that Oscar and Millie would roll their eyes when she got away with things they wouldn’t. I’ll add at this point that Doris still does as she pleases (within reason) most of the time! She is definitely a character! Doris has previously enjoyed meetups organised by PDWRA and our local facebook pug group over the years – although for health reasons, she now has retired from these.
Since Doris has joined our family, she has witnessed a lot! Rory and I got married in 2014 and have welcomed 2 sons, Leo and Tristan who are now aged 8 and 4. Doris has thoroughly enjoyed the baby years and very quickly learnt that babies and toddlers = food.
Whilst out on walks with the pram, she has often taken the opportunity to hitch a lift in the basket beneath when walking had become too much!
Pugs are great with children, and even to this day, she will seek out a child to curl up with and listen to Disney films on the settee with a blankie! We moved house in 2017, did lots of internal renovations and tidied up the garden. It has been a project! Doris has been fortunate to have access to a large garden to roam – although in the recent year, this has also proved challenging at times.
Sadly, Doris was diagnosed with anterior lens luxation in her eyes after many recurrent eye ulcerations that had proved difficult to try and overcome. In 2022, Doris had an eye enucleation of her right eye. We have been under the care of the ophthalmology department in Debenham, Suffolk for both Oscar and Doris for many years as eye problems and pugs often go hand in hand.
Doris & Oscar
Sadly, following the loss of her right eye, her left eye began to follow the same path and we had to make the very difficult decision to have the left eye removed in March 2024. We really had to think hard about the removal of her left eye – although the left eye was providing limited vision as it was – would she manage being totally blind? Would we cope? What would we need to do to make things easier for Doris? What does caring for a blind pug involve? Our decision was also being forced by the fact that the right eye had ruptured and Doris had attended for surgery as an emergency case and had not coped very well with the anaesthetic. She ended up with haemorrhagic gastroenteritis and was really quite poorly to the point we thought we might lose her.
Doris boxing Oscar!
We decided to jump before we were pushed this time and although I wasn’t sure how any of us would manage – we all have, and Doris is doing really well! I reached out for further advice from the very supportive PDWRA Facebook group for adoptive parents – and the advice came flooding in. Luckily we had many of the steps in place prior to the enucleation of the first eye – steps from the back door to make it less of a drop, bells on Millie’s collar so Doris can hear where Millie is and follow the noises, no furniture movement and ensuring the clutter is picked up. Doris is able to navigate the house really well.
Doris & Millie
Garden manoeuvres are generally OK but she often gets lost at the bottom of the garden and we have to retrieve her or have been known to send Tristan down to gently clap so she can follow the sound and come back to the house. On the odd occasion that the humans are away from home for a few days, “Nanny and grandad” move in to look after Doris and Millie in their own environment. Doris would not manage to be relocated due to being blind – it just wouldn’t be fair on her.
She doesn’t appear to enjoy being out on walks unless she is in her chariot! I think it is disorientating for her and she is very hesitant with putting one foot in front of the other but is happy to go out safely in her own pushchair. She enjoys trips to the beach as this usually results in ice-cream – one of her favourites! If we pick her up, we have to be sure to place her back in her bed “to reset her” to ensure she is able to get her bearings again!
Teatime often makes me laugh as she does shout at me to hurry up with her tea but has her back to me and is actually shouting at the wall instead! She seems happy and is coping well – and as long as this continues – so will we!
Doris is such a dear little girl and we feel we have been so privileged to have cared for her on behalf of the PDWRA over the last 11 years. I would offer another pug a home in a heartbeat – but looking at our current situation sensibly due to Millie’s age and Doris’s blindness feel that we need to devote our time to our “little old ladies”.
My advice to anyone considering adopting is to do your homework. Pugs are great companions with massive personalities but they can be complicated (and expensive) little creatures. The rewards massively outweigh the hard work, and I honestly can’t see us not having pugs sharing our home.
The 1st October every year, is a day set aside to celebrate black dogs. It was originally created to raise awareness of how they were often passed over in rescue shelters and to break the historic stigma surrounding their colour.
However, we know black dogs are just as loving and loyal as any other colour. In fact they have great character and unique personalities. They are very special!
Black pug owners will know that!
Here, we Celebrate a small sample of YOUR black dogs & pugs, who you’ve shared with us on our Facebook Page Post for National Black Dog Day! 😍🐾 https://www.facebook.com/PDWRA/
Pippin & Poppy
Miss Pickles
Nicola’s Boys
15 year-old Sid
Pepper Pug
Frank & Greg
Doug & Betty
Arnold
Belle
Valerie’s Betty
Alfie
Kevin
Marley
Pumpkin
Bella
Plus, here’s a pretty impressive grumble, of Lindsey’s. She has a total of 7 pugs, 6 of which are black and of those, 5 are adoptees from the PWDRA!
We celebrate them whether they are with us now, or in our memories from across the Rainbow Bridge. Here are a few who were also lovingly posted in remembrance, by their adoring parents:
I first met Biggles at Emily and Ryan’s, who are fosterers for the PDWRA. I’m a painter and decorator and had turned up at Emily’s and Ryan’s to decorate their hall, stairs and landing. On Arrival I was greeted by three pugs, two older ones called Frank and Dolly and a younger one called Biggles. Emily took them out of the way into the kitchen and garden area so I could get set up for work.
At lunch time Emily & Ryan had popped out but told me to make a drink etc. and use the kitchen and that the dogs were in the kitchen & garden area and they would be fine with me going in.
So, I went in to see Dolly and Frank both fast asleep in their beds and Biggles was laying in his bed on his squeaky teddy toy with one eye open. When he saw me creep in, he picked his toy up ran over and dropped it by my feet. So I played with him while I had lunch and petted him and he tried to follow me everywhere.
Each day that I returned to work on the house Biggles would come running with his toy and we would play. He ended up following me around the house while I was working and I played and fussed with him when I could. After a few days we became firm friends and I looked forward to seeing him each day.
I mentioned to Emily and Ryan what a lovely dog he was believing he was theirs but they then informed me that he was looking for his forever home. By about the fifth work day we had bonded so well and he stuck to me like glue when Emily and Ryan were out of the house, so I just knew it was meant to be.
Emily and Ryan were amazing and got the ball rolling with the adoption process and sorted everything out for me. I can’t thank them enough for all they did for Biggles and I.
I’ve become friends with Emily and Ryan since and on the days when Biggles can’t come to work with me he goes to their house as there is always someone home in the daytime and he has the other dogs who he likes to be with.
So really, it’s a team effort with Biggles as he lives with me but Emily and Ryan and the kids really help me out with him. I had a wedding recently and he stayed with them overnight. I really can’t thank them enough for what they do for me and Biggles and obviously the PDWRA too.
So, between us, Biggles has a lovely life and he’s really settled and such a happy little fella. He makes me smile every morning as he’s so happy and such a joy to be around. His favourite two things are playing with his toys & he loves a raw beef bone a couple of times a week.
We’ve been away to the seaside and he loves running on the beach and playing ball in the sea. I have a funny story too – I walk Biggles in a big park that is always busy with other dog walkers and families using the children’s park etc. and one day we were walking around and I noticed people pointing at us and laughing. And it seemed to be everyone we passed. I stopped and looked at Biggles and without me knowing somehow he had picked up a baby’s dummy off the floor and had it in his mouth walking round just like a baby would haha, so here’s a picture of him with the dummy! He’s always picking things up when we’re out and about.
Another funny story is when I was at the parents’ house and he disappeared. We were sat in the garden chatting and I was just about to go and look for him when he came trotting down the path with two much larger front teeth… on closer inspection he had pinched my dad’s false teeth and was parading around with them in his mouth looking so pleased with his find, hahaha! He’s such a character bless him, I had to chase him around the garden for 5 minutes to get them off him!
To finish, I’d just like to say what a lovely life Biggles now has with me and the rest of my family and also Ryan and Emily’s family too. He comes with me to my parents a lot who have two dogs and they all get on well and we stay over and go for nice walks and caravan holidays which he loves. He’s a lucky boy to have us all and we act as a team to give him his best life.
The adoption process was very good and communication was great. You guys do an amazing job!
