Bile Acids Test: Looking for Liver Shunts in Young Pets

A bile acids test checks how well the liver clears bile acids from the blood, using one sample before a meal and one after. In a puppy or kitten with poor growth or odd behaviour, it can help show whether blood from the gut reaches the liver, as it may not in a liver shunt. It does not show the cause.

What are bile acids and what does the liver do with them?

Bile acids are made by the liver and stored in the gall bladder. After a meal they are released into the gut to help digest fat. Most are then taken up again from the gut and carried back to the liver by the blood, and a healthy liver pulls them out of the blood each time.

Because of this, the level in the blood of a healthy pet stays low, especially before eating, and rises only a little after a meal. A level that stays high means the liver is not clearing them well.

What is a liver shunt?

Blood from the intestines normally flows first through the liver, which filters out waste and other substances from food and gut germs. In a portosystemic shunt, an extra blood vessel lets some of that blood go around the liver. Many young pets are born with one.

When blood skips the liver, substances such as ammonia can reach the brain. Owners may notice poor growth, a small or thin body, dullness, vomiting, or odd behaviour such as staring, circling, pressing the head on a wall or walking as if drunk. Signs may seem worse after a meal. A pet with fits, or one that seems confused, needs a vet at once.

Why are two samples needed?

The first sample is taken after the pet has been without food for the time your vet sets. Then the pet eats a meal, and the second sample is taken after a set wait. This second sample is called post-meal, or post-prandial. Comparing the two gives a clearer view than a single sample, because one of the two may look abnormal while the other looks normal.

The Bile Acids (Fasting & Post-prandial) test uses serum, the clear liquid part of the blood. Your vet or the lab will give exact instructions for the fasting time and the meal, so follow them closely instead of guessing. Very young pets can become weak if they go without food for too long.

What can the results mean?

A raised level, particularly after the meal, may indicate that the liver is not clearing bile acids as it should. This can happen with a shunt and also with some other liver diseases. A normal result lowers the worry but does not always rule out a problem, so the vet may repeat the test or add others. The lab report shows the reference range.

The test does not show where the problem lies. Finding a shunt usually needs a scan, such as an ultrasound, and the vet decides what is needed. A registered veterinarian reads the bile acids with the pet's age, signs, behaviour and the other results.

Which other tests are used alongside?

The Liver Function Test (LFT) measures liver enzymes and proteins. Enzymes mostly show damage to liver cells, and in a pet with a shunt they may be normal or only slightly changed, because the trouble is how the liver is used rather than injury. That is one reason the bile acids test is asked for.

The Ammonia test measures a waste product that the liver normally handles. Too much of it can upset the brain. Ammonia in a sample changes quickly, so the lab will tell you how to collect and carry it before the blood is drawn.

Owners who like to book several checks together may look at the Liver Care Panel. It groups a liver function test, GGT (another liver enzyme), bile acids, albumin and a blood count. A package is only a bundle, and your vet can still add or drop tests to suit your pet.

Read next

For a closer look at the panel that bundles these tests, see Liver Care Panel: LFT, GGT, Bile Acids and Albumin. Poor growth and dullness can also come from outside the liver, and Thyroid Problems in Dogs: Signs and Tests Explained shows how vets check a hormone gland in dogs that seem slow or flat.

Testing in Bhopal

Plan the fasting sample with the lab so the timing matches your vet's advice. Samples are collected free anywhere in Bhopal, and the lab sits at C-200, C Sector, Shahpura. Owners in other districts can send blood by courier, bus parcel or through their vet. Call or WhatsApp +91 88175 01118; the lab confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time when you book.