Bile Acid Results

[westhoops14]

Would appreciate opinions on bile acid test results. 9 after 12 hour fast, 54 two hours later after eating.

[ArmaniMan]

Not an expert by any means, but those numbers seem to indicate MVD- they are higher than normal but not high enough to really indicate a shunt. How old is the dog? What symptoms led you to have BATs performed? Have other causes of liver disease been ruled out? What does your vet suggest as the next step?

[westhoops14]

he is 5 months old. Recommended next steps are liver ultrasound. BAT recommended at consultation on other genetic issues (3cm open font, cryptorchidism, recent overbite development).

[ArmaniMan]

Originally Posted by westhoops14

he is 5 months old. Recommended next steps are liver ultrasound. BAT recommended at consultation on other genetic issues (3cm open font, cryptorchidism, recent overbite development).

Okay- so with no symptoms of liver disease (seizures, stumbling, shaking, etc.) I am even more inclined to lead towards MVD. I don't know how much research you have done but MVD is small internal shunting in the liver (as opposed to one large shunt). There is no cure for MVD, you cannot do surgery to correct it. Rather you need to make lifestyle changes, often these changes depend on what symptoms, if any, are present, and also personal preference of the vet & owner. There are different medications your vet may suggest and they may also suggest a prescription diet or just a low protein diet.

I have two dogs with MVD, they are on milk thistle which protects the liver (it is an all natural supplement)- we originally tried a medication provided by the vet called Denamarin but it made both my dogs very sick and the vet didn't think it was worth it to have them ill. We also stick with a low protein food, but not super low. The vet gave me a list of proteins to stay away from (red meat, duck, salmon, and exotic things like bison, etc.), so I chose foods that didn't have those proteins and that were in the 22%-24% protein category. Both of these are small changes and my babies continue to be very healthy and not show symptoms at 2 & 4 years of age. I am NOT recommending that you follow this protocol- you should create your own with your vet- I am just trying to show that MVD is very manageable.

However, most importantly you need to get a firm diagnoses so that you know what you are dealing with.

My vet chose not to do a liver ultrasound as she felt they dont always show a shunt even when they are present and based on the numbers (which were pretty close to your dogs- It has been awhile but I think they were like 15 and 58) and condition of my dog she was almost certain a shunt was not going to be present anyway. She chose instead to do a liver biopsy at the time of spay in order to get a definitive diagnosis.

There are a lot of yorkies on here with MVD and some who have had LS surgery- so I am sure more people will be able to jump in with more experience and help.

[Nancy1999]

I'm so sorry, and I hope your baby will be okay, I don't know much about the disease, but I highly recommend you inform your breeder of this. Best of luck.

[Ladymom]

Try not to panic. Bile acids test results can be skewed if the test is not done correctly. Dr. Center, the developer of the bile acid test, recommends that Yorkies be tested at 16 weeks and again at six months. Since the numbers were relatively low, you might want to just wait and retest in another month.

There is lots of information on bile acid testing on the YTCA website including the proper protocol for the testing.

Health Committee

Here are some other good links for you:

PSVA and MVD Research Summary

Portosystemic Shunts FAQ

I agree with Nancy 100%. You should contact his breeder and let her know the results.

[cally930]

Testing for Bile Acids should be done at 6 months. I think you should wait and have it done again.

[Patti]

My Cali had 2 Bile Acid tests done at about 6-7 months. I st one was 0/94 or close to that and the second one was 0/50ish. We had the liver ultrasound, showed no external shunt so she had a liver biopsy when spayed and was diagnosed with a very mild case of MVD. We just keep her on a low protein diet and she has been fine for over 5 years. Hopefully, pn retest they will be normal or a very mild case of MVD. Please keep us posted.