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Originally Posted by dre1141  she wasn't showing any symptoms actually we moved to a new state and lexi was due for her shots and I researched a good clinic and the vet suggested it since yorkies are prone and so she's asymptomatic but I'm glad I found out sooner then later that's for sure |
What a great vet you found!
According to Dr. Center, all Yorkies should have a bile acids test as a puppy. Unfortunately, most vets aren't knowledgable about the current protocol in diagnosing and treating liver disease.
This is from Page 22 of Dr. Center's seminar handout:
"2: The best approach to avoid "over diagnosis" is to test bile acids in young dogs of highly affected breeds (at 4 mths of age) while they are clinically healthy and before they are adopted into pet homes. Highly affected breeds include: Yorkshire Terrier, Cairn Terrier, Maltese, Tibetan Spaniels as well as many other "terrier" type breeds (Miniature Schnauzer, Lhasa Apso, Shih Tzu, Dachshund, Bichon Frise, Pekingese, Toy and Miniature Poodles, and Havanese and others). Proactive assessment of serum bile acids will limit the awkward circumstance imposed when an MVD dog, with minor health issues, is suddenly recognized to have abnormal bile acids by a pet owner's veterinarian. This circumstance can lead to unnecessary diagnostic confusion and unwarranted invasive tests such as liver biopsy and portovenography. How old dogs should be at he time of initial testing has not been established. Typically, abnormal bile acids DO NOT normalize as a dog ages ..... " (all emphasis added by Dr. Center)