Bile Acids (Fasting & Post-prandial)
A bile acids test measures bile acids in two blood samples, taken after a fast and about two hours after a meal, to see how well the liver clears them. It can help your vet look for liver problems and shunts, blood vessels that bypass the liver, in dogs and cats.
- Sample
- Serum (plain)
- Quantity
- As advised
- Report
- Confirmed when you book
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- Bile acids in a serum sample taken after a fast
- Bile acids in a serum sample taken about two hours after a meal
- How well the liver takes bile acids back out of the blood
- A possible sign of reduced liver function or a portosystemic shunt
Benefits of this test
- Shows how well the liver is working, not just whether liver cells are damaged.
- Can help your vet look for a liver shunt in a young dog or cat.
- Uses two simple blood samples taken on the same day.
- Helps your vet decide whether a liver scan or other tests are needed.
- Can be repeated to see how liver function changes over time.
Often discussed at these ages:Puppy
When your vet may advise it
- Liver enzymes or other liver results are abnormal on a blood test.
- A young dog or cat that is small for its age or grows poorly.
- Dullness, wobbling, head pressing or fits, especially after meals.
- Drooling, vomiting or drinking more than usual when your vet suspects a liver problem.
- Slow recovery after sedation or anaesthesia.
- Follow-up checks for a known liver problem, as your vet advises.
About this test
Bile acids are made by the liver and stored in the gall bladder. After a meal, they flow into the gut to help digest fat. Most are then taken back into the blood that travels to the liver, and a healthy liver pulls them out again. So in a healthy dog or cat, only a small amount of bile acids stays in the blood.
This test checks how well the liver does that job. Two serum samples are needed. Serum is the clear liquid that separates from clotted blood. The first sample is taken after a fast. The pet then eats a small meal, and the second sample is taken about two hours later. Your vet tells you how long to fast and which meal to give. If the liver is not working well, or if blood is flowing around the liver instead of through it, bile acids may stay high in the blood.
Vets commonly use the test when other liver results are abnormal, or when they suspect a portosystemic shunt. A shunt is an abnormal blood vessel that lets blood from the gut bypass the liver. It is often found in young pets that grow poorly or act strangely after meals. The bile acids test does not show which liver problem is present, and a normal result does not rule out every liver problem. Your vet may add an ultrasound scan, an ammonia test or a Liver Function Test (LFT). A registered veterinarian reads the results together with your pet's signs and history.
How to prepare
Your vet tells you how long to fast your pet and what small meal to give between the two samples; never fast a puppy, kitten or sick pet without your vet's advice. The lab confirms the method, sample needs and reporting time when you book.
Reading the result
A registered veterinarian reads both bile acid values together with your pet's signs, history and other liver tests. A raised result may indicate reduced liver function or a shunt, but it does not name the cause. If the pet did not eat the meal or vomited, the result can be affected, so your vet may repeat the test or add a scan or other tests.
Questions about Bile Acids (Fasting & Post-prandial)
Why are two blood samples needed for a bile acids test?
What does a high bile acids result mean in a dog?
What is a liver shunt in dogs and cats?
What should my pet eat before the second sample?
Before you book this test
Why this notice: so you know, before you book, how a test is done, what its limits are and who is responsible.
- Where it is tested. Some tests are done wholly or partly by an independent partner laboratory. The lab tells you before booking if this test is sent out, and the report names the laboratory that did it.
- What a result can and cannot tell you. No test is right every time. A normal result does not rule out every disease, and an abnormal result does not prove one. A registered veterinarian should read the report with the animal’s signs and history before any treatment is started, changed or stopped.
- The sample. A sample that is clotted, too small, wrongly labelled, leaking or too old may be rejected or reported with a note, and the lab may ask for a fresh one.
- Reporting time. Confirmed when you book. Times are estimates, not guarantees, and the lab confirms the time when you book.
- Emergencies. A booking or a pending report must not delay urgent care. If an animal has collapsed, struggles to breathe, has fits or bleeds heavily, call a veterinarian at once.
Please read our Terms of Service, Medical Disclaimer, Privacy Policy and Refund and Cancellation Policy. Pashupatinath Vet Lab is operated by Duaji Healthcare and Tech Private Limited. This page is general information and does not replace a veterinarian’s advice.
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Bile Acids (Fasting & Post-prandial): Bhopal and the big cities of Madhya Pradesh
Free sample collection anywhere in Bhopal. From the other cities, send the sample by courier, bus parcel or through your local veterinarian, and the report comes to you online.
Free collection in these Bhopal areas
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