General info: If the Post Bat is less than 100, more than likely will be MVD and can be managed with diet, or diet and meds. If Post BAT is over 100, more than likely will be a Liver Shunt, but not always. High BAT results can occur with problems other than Liver Shunts, but symptoms usually occur with higher results if not LS. Liver Shunts can also be managed with diet and medications, but surgery to repair the shunt is highly recommended. Some dogs with LS also have MVD and need to stay on a protein restricted diet for life.
Symptoms of LS: picky eater, slow growth rate, poor coat condition, skinny in appearance, recurring Urinary tract infections, head-pressing (into walls or furnitue), circling, drunken gait, seizures (can occur within 30 minutes after eating), lethargy, pacing...and others. On X-Ray the liver will appear small. Not all symptoms show all the time, may only see one or two.
Many times further testing after a low BAT (under 100) is not done if dog has no symptoms. Many owners opt to get their pups on a low protein diet and retest BAT in 3-6 months. The only way to difinitively diagnose MVD is through a Liver biopsy, which is an extremely invasive surgery, the outcome of which will not change the treatment (BAT 26-100=low protein diet). |