Quote:
Originally Posted by blitz  I agree with you on the testing but it is has turned out to be very complicated. You could breed two liver shunt parents and get normal puppies. You could breed normal parents, with normal bile acids and get liver shunt puppies.
I would not buy a puppy that didn't have normal bile acids and with the internet, I hope more and more puppy buyers are becoming educated enough to protect themselves from this heartbreak and not be swayed by breeders who "never ever had a liver shunt" because that means nothing. |
So now it just sounds impossible! If the parents don't have any signs of LS than you want all the pups to be held until they are 4 months old so that they can be tested as well before we try to find them forever homes? It kinda sounds like having every American tested for heart disease because it is so prevelant whether they have symptoms or history. Living beings are just so complex that just because something is a bit different does not mean that it is wrong. Could it be that we are finding liver shunt in yorkies more because we are testing them more than any other breed? Mayhaps the porto vein does not entirely shut down in alot of small breeds but simply causes no problems for them in most cases?