Quote:
Originally Posted by bellasmomok  ^^^ I have a question about the Dr. Center quote above....
I read that same quote, but I also read somewhere else that a dog's bile acids should be tested after 20 weeks (I think?), because before that organs aren't finished developing. So do you think she means to have a BAT before they go home (at 3 mo.) so you have a baseline, but then you'd need another at 20+ weeks after the liver has finished developing to know for absolute sure???
None of this is very simple, is it?  |
Dr. Center used to recommend a BAT test at 16 weeks or before the puppy went to his new home. She has recently revised her recommendation to twenty weeks to give the organs another month to develop based upon her research .
It gets confusing now, doesn't it? What many reputable Maltese breeders are doing is showing new owners proof both parents have been BAT tested, then mutually agreeing that the puppy will be tested at 20 weeks. Reputable breeders cover genetic conditions for at least a year anyway.
The problem is what happens if the puppy does have a high BAT? Before, breeders and owners were pushing the BAT test up to 12 weeks so the puppy could be tested before he came home. How heartbreaking it would be to bond to a puppy, only to find out six weeks later that he has a liver shunt.
I pray Dr. Center is successful in fining a genetic marker for liver shunts so all parents can be cleared before breeding.