Congenital portosystemic shunts (PPS) are abnormal vascular communications that allow
blood from the intestine to bypass the liver, and are classified as intrahepatic or extrahepatic.
Clinical signs are generally related to the nervous, gastrointestinal or urinary systems, and
are often vague. In addition, changes present on routine blood analysis are often mild and
non-specific. For this reason, alternative tests are required for a diagnosis. Diagnostic tests
include serum bile-acid concentrations, ammonia tolerance test, portography …

Simple Summary Congenital portosystemic shunts (CPSS) are abnormal vessels allowing
communication between the splanchnic and systemic circulations. They are either
extrahepatic (ECPSS) or intrahepatic (ICPSS), single or multiple. ECPSS is most commonly
diagnosed in small and toy-breed dogs and cats, while ICPSS is most commonly seen in
large-breed dogs. The clinical signs associated with CPSS, are due to hepatic
encephalopathy (HE), and commonly involve the nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, and …