Marla’s Second Chance Includes Major Liver Surgery

As a tiny puppy, Marla was suffering from seizures caused by a serious congenital condition. Months later, she finally reached the day her caregivers had been working toward: liver shunt surgery.

Marla was only about eight weeks old when Husky House received a late night call from an emergency hospital about a critically ill Mini Bernedoodle puppy. She was suffering from seizures related to a liver shunt and urgently needed help. Husky House stepped in, transferred her to Garden State Veterinary Hospital, and began the long process of getting her stabilized and determining the best path forward.

A liver shunt is an abnormal blood vessel that allows blood to bypass the liver instead of being properly filtered. This means toxins that the liver would normally remove can continue circulating through the body, potentially causing serious neurological symptoms like the seizures Marla was experiencing. For such a tiny puppy, it was a frightening way to begin her life.

Thankfully, once Marla began receiving the care she needed, her seizures stopped. But that didn't mean her liver shunt was gone. Correcting a liver shunt isn't a quick fix, and Marla remained under the care of the veterinary team at Garden State for months. She needed medication management, regular checkups and close monitoring while everyone waited for her to grow enough to safely undergo corrective surgery.

Through all those appointments, Marla's personality never stopped shining. She is a goofy, affectionate girl with a constantly wagging tail who seems determined to greet everyone she meets with kisses. After spending so much of her young life visiting Garden State, she even happily pulls toward the front door when she arrives, excited to see the veterinary staff who have cared for her along the way.

Once Marla was finally big enough, she returned to Garden State for the major procedure everyone had been preparing for: surgery to correct her liver shunt, with her spay also performed while she was under anesthesia.

Marla has already spent most of her young life dealing with a serious medical condition that required months of veterinary care just to reach this point. Now she still has to recover from a major surgery and continue receiving the veterinary attention needed to make sure her body is responding as hoped.

Husky House has been there for Marla since the night she arrived critically ill, and they are committed to seeing her through the rest of this journey. Donations to Marla's fundraiser will help with the significant cost of her liver shunt surgery, specialist care, monitoring and continued treatment as she recovers. Every contribution helps Husky House continue giving Marla the care she needs while giving other dogs in crisis the same chance to be saved.