Quote:
Originally Posted by bjh  If a dog has symptoms of liver shunt like staggering, low blood sugar, head pressing, etc., would it not be dangerous to run a bat test if not for the fact that it takes several days to get the results back? When a dog is showing these symptoms wouldn't the vet want to know immediately if the liver was compromised and if the liver is compromised don't they immediately put the dog on antibiotic, a liver cleansing diet and lactutose? Wouldn't the vet then wait until the dog is stable before going any further? Just running a BAT test will not let you know what kind of shunt it is, it just lets you know that the dog most likely has a shunt but we also know that bat tests can be wrong so then you go to the next step after that. These things take time so the most critical thing is to get the dog stable then proceed from there. To me the advise of running a bat test on a sick dog and not a blood panel first is incorrect. I don't know of any vet that would do that. When you have a tiny sick puppy, time is critical. It takes time to diagnose a liver shunt and surgery is not always and option. Many ls dogs live relatively good lives if on the proper medication and diet. |
The point that Ellie May is trying to make is that a blood panel
does not always show if there's a problem in the liver. So, there may very well be a problem but because a regular blood panel was done and not a BAT, the owner of a sick puppy might *think* that the problem is not in the liver b/c of a normal blood panel and continue a high protein puppy diet which could be absolutely detrimental to a dog that may have a liver issue. That's all she's trying to say...
You are correct, a BAT will not tell you if it's a shunt, but it will tell you if there's an issue going on with the liver, and if this is the case, then that dog needs to be put on a liver protocol until they find out what's really going on so that the dog does not go downhill, just in case.
There are times when surgery is not done at all or may not be appropriate and these dogs are medically and nutritionally managed and can live long lives, but the key is that they are on the proper protocol.
This post that I just made is not directed toward the original poster...I'm just following along with the discussion about BATs and blood panels...