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Originally Posted by Yorkieluv  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... |
I understand that in a healthy looking dog it is possible to run a blood panel and the results could show no liver problem and a problem could exist. When a dog is showing symptoms like staggering and head pressing it is because of excess ammonia building up in the blood. If you test a sick dog that is having these symptoms it will show something in a blood panel. If you have a seemingly healthy puppy that is a picky eater, thin and is not growing properly then I would recommend running a bat test to rule out liver shunt.