LIVER SHUNT ??'s It seems like every week we get some poor momma here talking about their baby with possible or that has liver shunt. i have never dealt with this and hope i never will. so to make sure my babies are ok, i need some answers to questions i don't know. how old do they need to be to have the bile acid test? is this test accuate? how much is the test (average)? if the test shows up negative, can they still be a carrier? thanks so much lisa |
how old do they need to be to have the bile acid test? They can get the test done before the leave the breeder's house is this test accuate? the one where they take blood and fast the dog for 12 hours is supposed to be the most accurate how much is the test (average)? around $50 and it's worth your peace of mind if the test shows up negative, can they still be a carrier? Yes, even if they don't have a liver shunt, they can be a carrier and pass it on to the pups... |
Quote:
|
Your welcome! |
Great info, I was curious about that as well! |
Thank you posting this, I as well was curious about liver shunts. |
My question is...If they test negative at 10 weeks (as mine did) 5 pre and 7 post does that mean he will never have this problem??? Also you said fast for 12 hours?? My vet had us fast for 6 hours Is that because of his age and weight?? he was only 1.1 lbs. He fasted 6 hours 7 by the time they took blood, then made him eat a high protein special food (not sure the name) then waited 2 hours and drew blood again. Was 85$ |
The first blood that gets drawn is after a 12 hour fast...In order the blood results to be accurate, the dog has to be fasted 12 hours for the initial drawing of blood... Do all dogs with shunts have high bile acids? Dog with shunts will almost always have high bile acids 2 hours after eating, and usually at least 95% of dogs will have high bile acids after a 12 hour fast. Samples are taken at both time periods ("fasting" or "preprandial", and "fed" or "postprandial") for several reasons. Some dogs normally release bile acids in the middle of the night and therefore naturally have a higher than normal fasting sample. Other dogs may have fat in their blood ("lipemia") after eating, which can interfere with the test. If only one blood sample can be obtained, it is best to take it 2 hours after eating. Do all dogs with high bile acids have shunts? Bile acids can be increased with any liver disease. Bile acids can also be mildly increased in normal dogs, particularly in some breeds (such as Maltese) where chemicals in their blood interfere with the test. Most dogs with liver shunts have fed bile acids over 100 (normal <15-20). If the bile acids are only mildly increased or the animal seems normal, many veterinarians will simply rerun the test in 3-4 weeks. Those two Q&A's were taken from http://www.vet.utk.edu/clinical/sacs/shunt/faq.shtml Also, I wanted to add that there is a new way to test for bile acids...It's a urine test. I think it's supposed to be fairly accurate also. |
Hmmmm I wonder why my vet only had him fast for 6 hours....Im gonna ask. With levels so low like I said 5 and 7 The vet said that is really on the low end. I just wonder if I should ever have him tested again. |
I'm not sure...You might join the liver shunt/mvd group on yahoo groups and ask them. They are extremely knowledgable there about these conditions and tests... |
Thanks I think I am going to do just that!! Its far to serious of a condition and getting educated is the only way I am going to ever be able to rest about this. I still picture my baby having seizures....even though bile test was great and diagnosed hypoglcemic...Im still not at rest with it all....Am I a FrEaK or what??? lol :jump28ib: |
All times are GMT -8. The time now is 03:22 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©2003 - 2018 YorkieTalk.com
Privacy Policy - Terms of Use