[sadiesamie]

My Yorkie Samie (9 yrs) had a bile acid test done 12/11/07.

Pre: 7 and post 15. The vet suggested starting Samie on Demamarin

and to re-test BAT 30 days later.

retest 30 days later: BAT pre: 3 post: 79

Vet suggests liver biopsy (light sedation, small needle, etc.) we do
some research and do not want to do biopsy as we felt it was too
soon. and no other tests had been done. (no xray's or anything)

So opting out of having the biopsy she says she understands people
cannot affort testing and she now says continue Denamarin and lets
add Ursodiol. I start the Ursodiol as she had directed, but now
after further researching YT and on line. I discover that giving
Samie the Urosodiol may skew her BAT retest in 30 days. so with that
we discontined the Ursodiol because I don't want to be "masking"
something here such as Shunt or MVD (as I had researched)

I also read that "anything" can throw off a BAT.

Here is some backround:

Samie had blood work done July 07-
We discover that she is Hypothroid. We did notice that Samie was
less playful, mopey, and she had put on weight (2 lbs)
BUT- Since adding the Soloxine she is a totally new dog. Yappy,
playful and back to her normal self. And we have even got her to
lose 1 lb!

Her Collapsing Trachea had progressed. Samie was on an allergy med
called Chlorphenarimine. Samie's breathing and coughing progressed
and we had to start giving her Hydromet. Sometimes every day. So
the vet says we can also try putting her on Flovent. In the meantime
we decided to STOP the Chlorphenarimine. I realized hat it was
making her pant more. and with more panting...came more breathing CT
issues.

Samie made a complete turn around once we
stopped the Chloraphenarimine. We still have her on the FLOVENT. I
believe the FLovent also causes excitability because Samie would pant
very very fast in her sleep. As soon as I backed off of the Flovent
and only gave it 1 x a day instead of 2 x a day. She no longer pants
heavily in her sleep.

Samie had been producing Calcium Oxalate crystals in her urine we
discovered that in July also I believe. The vet Prescribed
Pottassium citrate granule in her food 1 x a day.
SAmie's ph is holding at 8 (now on the high side IMO) But she is no
longer producing crystals.

So now- Samie has a CT fainting episode on 12/11/07- We are almost
positive this was a fainting episode because I have another Yorkie
and I had heard them quarreling over their food dishes. When i got
into the kitchen, I found Sadie in Samie's food dish and found Samie
flat on her back, I picked her up and she fainted in my arms. (I
thought she had passed away actually :-( Samie awakes- pushing out
her paws and crossing them. I didn't know if it was a seizure or
what? Vet says no she doesn't think so. ??? so ok we decide to run
some blood work on her.

Just want to remind you that Samie presents no symptoms of not
feeling well before this fainting episode. She has been feeling
great!


What I am questioning here is...

Labs done 7/14/07... we discover she is Hypothyroid.
we added SOLOXINE 7/20/07
With CT progressing- we added FLOVENT on 8/14/07.

Samie does still have CT episodes- The Chorepharimine just made her
so much worse. Samie does not go for walks and vet visits have to be
quick. Sometimes after a bath when she is excited and I am drying
her she will even turn blue (tongue)

For the crystals- we start adding Potassium Citrate granules to her food 1 x
day.

Fainting episode in December triggers BLOOD WORK. After December
Labs- the vet realizes something may be off so she suggests BAT.
After reviewing the labs i see that the ALT is HIGHer than it was in
July. So we do a BAT.

Something MAJOR that i noticed when comparing July labs and December
labs:
ALT in July was 25 Now ALT in December was 162!

This is what i am wondering all day long...
Could these med's be impacting Samie's liver values hency throwing
off her BAT?

We are seeing a specialist this Wednesday. I am just wondering if
anyone has any imput on this?