Purchase of a bile acid (liver) tested puppy
 

If you found two puppies you liked just the same by two different breeders, but one was $100.00 more but liver function tested (pre and post eating bile tested) before leaving the breeders which would you chose?

just from all the babies here on yt having liver shunt, i would def pay the higher price for peace of mind

also, the owners seem to care enough to do the testing as well

Thank you for the comment Lisa. This is very important poll to me. I am wanting to implement pre and post bile testing in my program for all puppies leaving here. The test is about 80.00 per puppy so it can be expensive and adds up fast.
But due to the fact yorkies are 36 times more likely then most any other breed to get a shunt it is truly a worthwhile test.
But unless someone knows a lot about yorkies and researched the breed very well before buying one, they may have no idea how prevalent this disease can be in this breed and how this test can save alot of heartbreak, unneeded suffering of a puppy, not to mention expensive down the road.

i think it is a great idea. my only question is, can they have the test done before leaving your home? are they too young to have the test?

i would definately adopt a puppy who has been tested.

I would go for the higher priced one as well just b/c i am one of the mommy's whos babies has MVD and wasn't tested by the breeder.But I would really suggest all the breeders have their babies tested.

As far as I have read, yes, they can have the test before they leave the home. There's a breeder who is a member here...I haven't seen her in a long time, I'm not sure if she's still breeding, but her name is YorkieRini with stellaryorkies.com and she did bile acid testing on all her pups before selling them.

I feel like bild acid testing yorkies before they go to their homes is extremely important. I don't know how many times a yorkie has been misdiagnosed with something else simply because the owners or vets weren't educated enough on liver shunts. This is something that the late Terri Schumsky was pushing for...Educating the public on importance of bile acid testing.

Question...Once the test is negative for liver shunt, will it always be negative, or is this a test that should be done more then once? Can a healthy puppy acquire liver shunt later? Just curious. Please don't make it sound like I'm stupid...I really want to learn something here. Thanks.

Having Cali a MVD dog I would definatley opt for the test. It can save a lot of heartache and money. Before I got Pixie I said my next dog would have to be Bile Acid tested but she was 13 months with no health issues and from a very well know breeder so I got her anyway.

I would definitely pay more for a liver shunt tested dog. It's well worth it.

I would definately spend the extra $100

Your question is not stupid at all. It is suggested puppies be tested at 9 to 10 weeks of age at the earliest and even though the puppy is tested for an congential shunt it could be possible for them to get an acquired shunt later in life. These can be caused by stress, poor diet, another underlying health problem etc. But by testing the chances of your puppy having a shunt is greatly reduced.

I personally do not feel a Yorkie should be sold/bought without one. Its inexpensive and I get so tired of hearing "I just dont have the money" You should have money set aside for expenses. I know MAJOR things arise you did not expect but as a safe measure PLEASE have at least 500 $ set aside for testings, sickness, anything that may arise. My Diggy was 800.00 I then had to have bile acid test (breeder didnt want a thing to do with it) $150, 2 fecal exams $40.00 (he came with coccidia) meds for coccidia, blood test, heart worm test, shots, and heart worm preventative. He then was diagnosed hypoglycemic, so then we played the food game lol started on Nutro, then to Innova, then Innova evo, canned puppy food and home cooking. His food alone has cost me over 150$ (trial and error) he has to eat every 3-4 hours so keeping him interested has been a CHORE! Nutrical, Kayro, bullies, cow tails, leashes, harness, puppy shampoo, bed, toys.....I can go on forever.....So thinking you buy a dog for $800 and your done is wayyyyyy offfffffff. I dont mean to sound negative.....but if you really wanna give your baby the life they deserve....set aside FUNDS!!! :D

I agree, puppies/dogs can be and are expensive...That's why I have the "PUPPY FUND"" I put extra cash in this fund when I can...just in case I need it for whatever my boy may need. I may not always have a lot, but a little here a little there...and you'll have what you need, when you need it. Obviously if there was a major health issue, where we're talking thousands and thousands of dollars talk to your vet, more then likely they'll let you pay monthly payments. But yes, we do have to think ahead and be prepared.