Little Dog, Big Strength: How Gidget Overcame a Deadly Condition

When Gidget, a 2-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, arrived at the ASPCA Animal Recovery Center in New York City, she was thin with matted, unkempt fur and had a recent history of blunt force trauma. The New York Police Department had just rescued her after someone had observed her owner kicking and punching her on the sidewalk days before Halloween.

Once safely in our care, our expert veterinary staff got to work getting this sweet girl back to health.

“That’s where Gidget’s story got extra interesting,” said Dr. C, a veterinarian at the ASPCA Recovery & Rehabilitation Center. “As part of a forensic workup, all dogs receive comprehensive lab work. Gidget's repeatedly showed several specific changes, including a particular type of anemia, an unusual crystal in her urine and changes to her liver values, that were suggestive of a congenital liver issue. She also had issues with her gastrointestinal tract — her appetite would wax and wane, she would intermittently vomit and would experience intermittent periods of lethargy.

“Thanks to the ASPCA Animal Hospital having a board-certified internal medicine specialist, Dr. Lesnikowski, we were able to get Gidget an ultrasound and consultation shortly after her arrival. Her workup found changes concerning for a condition called a congenital portosystemic shunt, or cPSS.”

Congenital portosystemic shunt, or cPSS, is an abnormal blood vessel that forms where it shouldn’t. Normally, blood leaving the intestines travels to the liver first. This blood is full of the broken-down remains of things the body has taken in like food or medication. The liver acts as the body’s filter and processing center for all these substances.

A cPSS creates a detour, called a shunt, which causes all the blood from the intestines to skip the liver and go straight to the bloodstream, which carries it throughout the body.  Because the liver has been bypassed, chemicals that should have been filtered out now end up reaching other organs like the brain.

It also means that nutrition is not processed as efficiently and the liver receives less blood supply, causing affected animals to be stunted, thin, and, on imaging, to have small livers, all things seen in Gidget.

A cPSS can also cause a significant neurologic disease called hepatic encephalopathy. One of the substances the liver removes is ammonia, which is a byproduct of digestion. In dogs with healthy livers, ammonia is processed and largely removed from circulation. However, in dogs with a shunt, circulating ammonia levels rise to dangerous amounts. This impedes the function of neurons and can cause lethargy, seizures and even death if left untreated. 

A Team Effort

While at the Animal Recovery Center, Gidget was monitored closely, put on weight and was groomed. To continue her care, she was transferred to the ASPCA Recovery & Rehabilitation Center in Pawling, New York, on December 4, 2025.

“As you can imagine, Gidget's care was not your average shelter dog's,” explained Dr. C. “For one, she needed to be closely monitored for signs of neurologic disease. She received medications multiple times a day that had to be timed carefully with her meals to minimize the amount of ammonia in her bloodstream. Another important part of treatment for cPSS dogs is to strictly control their dietary protein, and almost all of our enrichment (cheese, meat-based dog treats, hot dogs) has protein. So, our team had to stock several enrichment items that had no protein and, just as importantly, that Gidget liked — which involved a lot of trial and error and trips to the local grocery store!

“We educated all teams about what it might look like if Gidget had a neurologic episode and everyone was very on top of making sure she always got her medications. There were a couple of times when she collapsed after being too active due to her blood sugar being low (another complication of shunts) and everyone was great about seeking medical attention immediately.”

Thankfully, aside from being a picky eater, Gidget was a great patient! She was very tolerant of all the monitoring required, including numerous blood draws and exams, and she learned to love the medical team.

“She would spend a lot of time with us when we were monitoring her more closely and we learned she was a spunky little girl who liked to parade around with toys as big as she was and howl as she did so,” recalled Dr. C. “She was a very cute, very sweet dog that we all loved.”

After about a month at the Recovery & Rehabilitation Center, Gidget was transferred back to New York City, this time to the ASPCA Adoption Center, where her care and close monitoring would continue, largely in foster care, until she could receive surgery on February 11, 2026.

“A cPSS can be corrected with surgery if there is a single vessel that can be identified as bypassing the liver,” said Dr. Magnaterra, the senior director of veterinary services at the Adoption Center. “Gidget had surgery, performed by Dr. Gayle, the director of surgery, to close this vessel and resolve her cPSS. We also took a liver tissue sample for biopsy and found decreased blood flow in the liver, which matched her cPSS diagnosis.”

Gidget recovered well from her surgery and did exceptionally well when her medications were reduced.

Finding Her Person

As with many dogs recovering from surgery, Gidget would recover best in a quiet, comfortable foster home. While normally Gidget would go into the same foster home she had been staying in prior to her surgery, her foster mom was on vacation and couldn’t care for her, so our foster team sent out an email asking for help. That’s when Jessica L. spotted her.

Jessica L. became a foster caregiver after following the account SimonSits on Instagram. Inspired by the work SimonSits was doing, Jessica began fostering with ASPCA placement partner Muddy Paws. After moving to a new apartment, she temporarily stopped fostering and instead signed up to volunteer at the ASPCA.

“While volunteering I had signed up to do short-term fostering to be a respite for dogs since I lived so close to the Adoption Center,” explained Jessica. “I was not looking to adopt a dog. My life has always been a bit crazy, but when the foster team sent me Gidget, I fell in love with her. At first, I declined the weekend foster, but as the week went on, I knew I had to meet her.”

When Jessica met Gidget, she fell head over heels for her and her funny, kind personality.

“You would have no idea that she ever went through any type of trauma,” Jessica told us. “She was a tiny, sweet, anxious little lap dog who just wanted to be wherever I was. I very quickly went from ‘let me foster Gidget,’ to ‘I wonder if she's a good fit,’ to immediately, ‘this is my dog.’”

In less than 24 hours, Jessica had emailed to place a hold on Gidget for adoption.

“I think I knew Gidget was the dog for me because I didn't fall in love with her because she was perfect, I fell in love with her because I understood her,” said Jessica. “I didn't want to adopt Gidget because she was going to be the easiest dog, I chose her because something about her made me want to be her person.”

Knowing about Gidget’s medical conditions did initially give Jessica pause, but after our foster and adoptions teams answered all her questions, she felt more at ease. Additionally, Gidget wasn’t available for adoption yet as she was still recovering and her court case hadn’t been resolved. In the end, Jessica waited around three months to officially adopt Gidget, and at that point, couldn’t be surer of her decision.

Better Together

Following her surgery, Gidget hasn’t had any issues with cPSS, though Jessica monitors her carefully and works very closely with her veterinarian in case something were to happen. Instead of constant vet visits, the two spend most of their days together, often at the park people- and dog- watching or at the dog park.

“I think Gidget saved me more than anything. She has fit in so well,” said Jessica. “Since I work from the office three days a week, she goes to daycare. She absolutely loves it. She is such a social dog, she loves other dogs and people, so having her in daycare really helps her get her energy out. They tell me that she does not sit still from the moment she walks in to the moment I pick her up. Gidget is only 12 pounds but loves playing with large dogs. She will dart under and over them and around. It is so funny to watch. Gidget has seamlessly transitioned into my life.”

The one thing Gidget loves more than other dogs is butt scratches.

“She loves to plant all four paws on the ground and stick her butt up in the air for scratches. She will do it on the street with dogs and people, she really loves to do it when I pick her up from daycare, and she won't move until she feels like she got enough scratches or I pick her up,” laughed Jessica.

Gidget just recently went on her first flight to visit family in Ohio and she did really well! She also is a regular on the NJ Transit, visiting all of Jessica’s friends, and loves to go on weekend trips.

“I am just so grateful Gidget came into my life when she did,” Jessica said. “She is so incredible and so intuitive. I feel like she just knows what we both need and does it. She has made my home feel so different in the best way possible. She has taught me more patience and attentiveness and has given me companionship. Knowing I helped her feels great and I am just honored I get to call her mine.”