Oh, whew! A break! I didn't know if this was something they have to keep testing for or not. Well, that's good news. Big smile here.

Actually, I just read that ammonia testing is not that great. I don't know..one sit e suggests it .. another not.

I feel like I should add to my previous posts. I would hope nobody is BATing instead of doing blood panels and urinalyses. If you can only afford one or the other then do asic labs.

I'm not sure there is one perfect answer for blood/urine testing but I do it yearly. Two years between is way too long, imo. Dogs age quickly and hide symptoms well. It's only a $17 add on to do blood here with HW testing. If there is a concern we do a bigger panel. I usually do yearly fecals too. We do dentals as needed.

Here cysto to ull pee is usually u/s guided (and free). So we getbfree stone checks whenever pee is taken.

I do not think BAT testing is needed for every yorkie. I have not tested all of mine. One has had many BAT tests in her life and the results are all over the map. It amazes me still that a very sickly dog can throw a normal BAT under the right testing conditions after eating the right diet. I have also seen numerous laboratory errors with BAT testing and all of our testing has been done by a specialist in a hospital setting where the protocol is practiced routinely and far more often than at the regular general vet. I'm not of the opinion that every yorkie needs BATs.

We do blood every 6-8 months. Same for urine. We skip the fecals unless someone has symptoms.

For me all intact dogs have a full blood panel done at 6 months, BAT tested before breeding and a liver panel is done periodically throughout the dogs lifetime along with a full blood panel every year with the HW testing. Also any pups I have get a full blood panel before they go to their new homes. This way there is a baseline to compare future bloodwork to.

Thanks for starting this thread...So much good info!!!

In my opinion I don't think it is necessary to BAT test every yorkie. A full blood panel will give you a good idea of basic liver function.

I do have mixed feelings about BAT testing in general. I've seen so many varied results and question their reliability. So for your average pet if there are no problems and no history of it in their lines I don't see the need for it. I might feel differently though with a rescue dog with unknown history, I think I would just rather be safe and do it anyways in that case.

For breeding, yes I think every dog should be BAT tested prior to breeding. However this will only tell you whether your dog has it or not but it doesn't tell you if that dog is a carrier.

I really wish we would have came up with a genetic marker by now, it would make our lives so much easier. If they could identify carriers it would be great.

I really think its genetic makeup needs to be better understood. I find it very interesting on their study how you can breed two shunt dogs together and get normal puppies. Or you can breed one shunt dog, one healthy and get mixed results. Or breed two healthy dogs together and get a litter of shunts. The results seem unpredictable at this point so no matter how careful your breeding and testing is, you can still end up with a shunt, you just cross your fingers hoping you don't. With the technologies we have today you would think they would have this down to a more precise science.

I really do find LS very interesting and would love to see more done with it.
I once attended a seminar on LS and their theory was that it was caused during conception because the mother wasn't producing enough of a particular hormone. She could be bred two different times and the results would be different. I thought that was interesting but I don't know if they ever disproved that theory or what came out of it.

I used to believe that a full blood panel would tell you something about the liver, but not always so.

My Teddy Bear who is about 8 has been with me for 7 years and had yearly blood work done with everything being normal.

He suddenly became ill in February and ended up with bladder stones and a liver shunt!

The specialists told me it is not uncommon for a shunt to appear this way...and for no abnormalities in blood work prior.

ZoE (2 yrs old), has had a BAT & two blood panels (at 6months & 1yr 2mths), but she's never had a urinalysis....but now I know to ask for one.

I'm sure this is a silly question....am I supposed to take in a urine sample like a do a poop sample, or is this something the vet draws from her?

It depends on the get. If urine is being sent for culture it should be taken by cysto. A lot of vets don't do that though. For a routine test most will have you bring some in. I only do cysto u/a's bc it is the most sterile.