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07-12-2010, 09:38 AM | #1 |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Satellite Beach, FL
Posts: 3,691
| Sweet Sophie's Bile Acids! Here I go again with my girl.... When Sweet Sophie was diagnosed with heart worm there was also a problem with her bile acids....5.5 fasting, 73 post meal. She had her tests redone last week and here's what came back. 53 fasting 57 post meal. Her Doc is not giving me great giudance so I'm turning to y'all for some advice.. I was reading that 10-20 was normal but that over 100 is considered high. Should I take her to a specialist? She's not showing signs of a shunt but that doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. HELP!
__________________ Elizabeth - mommy to...Keegan & Sweet Sophie RIP Duncan (the cat who wanted to be a dog) & Clarence |
Welcome Guest! | |
07-12-2010, 09:48 AM | #2 |
Ringo (1) and Lucy too! Donating Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: On the Edge of Glory
Posts: 3,447
| Her numbers are elevated and could indicate MVD instead of an external shunt. What is your vet recommending at this point? Lucy has mildly elevated numbers and we keep her on a low protein diet with supplements and things seem manageable right now. Is Sophie showing any signs of liver disease other than the test results?
__________________ Mommy to Lucy, Ringo, and Matthew |
07-12-2010, 09:55 AM | #3 |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Satellite Beach, FL
Posts: 3,691
| No other signs. She's just a happy energetic little girl. The Vet is being kind of wishywashy...he isn't saying well let's try this then that. It's frustrating.
__________________ Elizabeth - mommy to...Keegan & Sweet Sophie RIP Duncan (the cat who wanted to be a dog) & Clarence |
07-12-2010, 11:09 AM | #4 |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| The vet is probably not too concerned because if it is just asymptomatic MVD, nothing has to be done. You can change diet although the very low protein foods are usually reserved for sick pups. You could go 18-22% protein. Supplements aren't going to hurt. Could do these things for a month or two and retest or you could just go to an internist and get it all over with. They may want to do an u/s though which may be a waste of money (unless they are looking for stones or to see if the liver is the right size, etc.). Doesn't seem severe enough for scintigraphy, but only a vet could really decide that. Are the liver enzymes normal? If the bile acids are up for another reason, it would be worth knowing what, so I would definitely keep paying atention to them and not just let the vet drop it...
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 |
07-12-2010, 11:42 AM | #5 |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Satellite Beach, FL
Posts: 3,691
| Thanks...she really has NO symptoms. Also she's on an LD diet and has been since November. I have an appointment with an internest for next Tuesday. Do y'all think I'm jumping the gun?
__________________ Elizabeth - mommy to...Keegan & Sweet Sophie RIP Duncan (the cat who wanted to be a dog) & Clarence |
07-12-2010, 11:49 AM | #6 | |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| Quote:
Why the L/D? For another issue? Or is that from when the bile acids were high before? Some people don't like really low protein (like L/D) for asymptomatic pups since too little protein isn't a good thing. If that is what the internist recommends continuing though, then I would.
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 | |
07-12-2010, 11:54 AM | #7 |
YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Satellite Beach, FL
Posts: 3,691
| Doc started her on that when his did her first test. I'll see what the specialist says. Poor little thing she doesn't need to deal with one more problem.
__________________ Elizabeth - mommy to...Keegan & Sweet Sophie RIP Duncan (the cat who wanted to be a dog) & Clarence |
07-12-2010, 01:32 PM | #8 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: New Jersey by way of Bama, USA
Posts: 135
| Last July my Coco had her first BAT, came back slightly abnormal...her post test. Again in October her post BAT again came back slightly abnormal. We decided to retest her one more time in April, expecting the same slightly abnormal. This time her pre and post were high...without pulling her folder out right now, she was high teens, low twenty's for pre and post was high, high 60's...low 70's? After this testing I phone UT and U Penn. Since U Penn was merely a hour away I made an appt and went there. Meet with a student and then the internist that was supervising him. They wanted to admit Coco to run labs and the ultra-sound (I was left with the impression that she would be under anesthesia for this), I wasn't prepared or comfortable leaving her so I allowed them to run the bloodwork (no BATS because she had not fasted) and a urinalysis....everything came back within normal limits and the internist expressed to me that she felt Coco had no liver disease at all. She said that "sometimes a number is just a number is just a number". So from there I was torn, my regular vet (who I had always had the utmost trust and respect for) telling me that Coco definitely had some liver disease and then this internist who felt she did not because she had no clinical symptoms. From there I went to a well respected holistic vet , who had came highly recommended. After reviewing all of Coco's results she agreed with U Penn and felt Coco was fine and should resume a normal diet. So we did. (We began prescription diet in October and denamarin in July). It wasn't long before she was have loose stools/diarrhea. Against advice from the holistic vet, I had not canceled Coco's appt for teeth extractions. I spoke in detail with my regular vet and explained my dilemma and concern. Together we decided to do a liver biopsy because it was what she felt would give us the best option for a diagnosis. She was concerned the ultrasound wouldn't reveal the issue. I had trusted her for 9 years so we went with that suggestion. Now some more conservative people feel this was done for my own piece of mind and sure that had something to do with it but my vet and I were both expecting a diagnosis of a liver shunt but got MVD instead. Had it been a liver shunt, I was headed to UT (University of Tennesse---this is major because I am a Alabama fan, UT is the best with shunt diagnoses and repairs that goes to show NOTHING comes before the health of my babies if I can do something to help them). With 2 different opinions from a vet i have had a relationship with for 9 plus year and then a different opinion from 2 highly recommended specialist...I had to have an answer. I don't regret it for even a moment and stand firm behind my decisions regarding the course of her Dx. Honestly, I even considered packing her up and taking her to UT anyway just for absolution, but I am neurotic and am trying to refrain unless other symptoms appear or her next BAT is even higher. My best advice, go with your gut feeling. Do what you feel is best. Coco is doing very well with her diet management and supplements. Good luck!!!!!
__________________ Christie- lucky and very proud "mom" to Belle, Coco, Pickles, & Jag Last edited by christiers; 07-12-2010 at 01:34 PM. |
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