Do all dogs with shunts have high bile acid results?
Dogs with shunts will almost always have high bile acids 2 hours after eating, and at least 95% of dogs will have high bile acids after a 12 hours fast. For the most accurate test results, samples are taken after a 12 hour fast, and then repeated 2 hours after feeding. This is done for several reasons. Some dogs normally release bile acids in the middle of the night, and therefore would have a higher fasting result. Other dogs may have fat in their blood after eating, which could interfere with the results. If only one sample can be obtained, it is best to take it 2 hours after feeding. 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 the Maltese) where chemicals that naturally occur in their blood interfere with the test. Most dogs with liver shunts have after feeding results of well over 100 (normal is 15-20). If the bile acids are only slightl
