There has been a lot more research since the 90's. Rothby is far from the only line with shunts. The more they check pedigrees the wider the bloodlines are getting. The worry is that its in so many lines it will be very hard to stop.
The duct should be closed by the time a pup is 6 weeks old. Testing can be done at 10 weeks. Most acquired shunts are inside the liver, more of an MVD type and caused usually by other health issues.
I do advise the Urine Bile Acid tests because they are accurate and there are few or no false positives and no fasting. You should feed the pup 4-6 hours before getting the urine. Its 100% sensitive to liver function. Its a screening tool as is the blood bile acid so if it's positive further testing would be required. But its a sure sign not to buy the pup if its positive. |