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Originally Posted by lucyliu  Thanks for the input. I have read some of your remarks on others with this issue. Do you think it is necessary to do liver biopsy with these numbers. My vet is saying this is the logical next step. And he says there could be a shunt seen when in there even with these numbers. I thought the numbers had to be over 100 to be a possible shunt. |
The number do not have to be over 100 to be a shunt. That is just a general guideline. Those numbers more so indicate MVD though. If she is getting spayed anyway, a biopsy could be done while the vet is in there, but that isn't without some extra risk.
Even if a biopsy was done, a shunt could be missed. This is the only way to definitively diagnose MVD, but usually treating it as MVD, after ruling out a shunt, is an acceptable way to avoid biopsy.
The best test to diagnose a shunt is scintigraphy.