[Ellie May]

Yes, I would definately want any Yorkie I had tested.

The ALT may not elevate until the liver is 70% damaged, so a regular blood panel is not enough and I would not believe that a dog's liver is normal just because of a good ALT as Ladymom said.

A bile acid test isn't dangerous. It is just two blood draws. Yes, problems can happen but problems can happen from blood panels too. I think the big difference for people is that the bile acid blood draws are taken from the jugular but that is where most of Ellie's are done, so there is no difference for us.

Ellie was five when I first heard about bile acid testing. She really didn't have any problems but since she is sensitive to vaccines and was having some bladder issues I decided it would be good to test. The vet did not think it was important to do so (and rightfully so) because Ellie's last ALT was 43 (perfect). It since went up (118) and back down again. I decided to do it anyway and I am glad I did. Now I know she should be on something to support her liver (Denosyl) and not a super-high protein diet. While she is undiagnosable right now and 99.999% asymptomatic, I really think it is best for her to be on some sort of protocol instead of just letting it go.

So since she was five when she got tested and they are high, I see no reason not to test adults. The small risk of a blood draw in an older pup (6 months or so) or an adult is worth it in my opinion and if we say no to bile acid testing, then I guess we have to say no to every blood draw from the jugular and that is the easiest place to take it from a small dog because the veins in the legs are small and collapse easily.