Dog ate chocolate?

ask a vet

Should I do these tests?

Species: Dog
Breed: Shih Tzu
Age: 6-12 months
I have two shih tzu's from the same litter. They were born on 1/29/09, so they are days away from their first birthday. I called the vet to schedule a check up (I thought they needed one at the 1 year mark, but it turns out they don't need a check up until June, which is 1 year from when they became fully vaccinated) and my vet said that even though they are due for check ups, they needed to be brought in for blood tests because the blood tests that were run in June during their spay and neuter procedures came back as having elevated kidney levels.

I'm a little bothered by this because I don't recall being notified of this test result in June, and I wonder if I hadn't called, would they have reached out to me for the re-test? They want to charge me $300 for the two blood tests, which seems reasonable for where I live (NJ) but I'm just concerned the tests aren't 100% necessary.

I know shih tzu's are prone to kidney issues, but what does "elevated kidney levels" mean exactly? Would you recommend a re-test now, or can it wait to be done at their check-up in June? My dogs are showing no symptoms of kidney failure, and appear to be perfectly happy and healthy dogs.


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi there Stacy and thanks for your question.

It is indeed correct that the dogs don't need another vaccine until a year after their rabies vaccine.

I'm wondering if the blood test that the vets want to do is a heartworm test? We usually do that in the spring time.

It is a little unusual though about the raised kidney enzyme. You could always ask for a copy of the previous blood tests and type the results out for me to look at. Hoever, if there really were elevated kidney enzymes they likely would have wanted to investigate it sooner!

It's not uncommon for some dogs to have kidney enzymes that are on the high side of normal because they are a little dehydrated. It's possible that your vet just wants to check that they are not getting higher. If there is a kidney problem the way we can differentiate it from just mild dehydration (which is nothing to worry about) is by having your vet check the specific gravity of a urine sample. This would be a lot less expensive.

From what you have described it sounds like it would be ok to wait until June, but it would be great if you could find out the levels of the enzymes that were elevated and then I can comment more.

Hope that helps!
Dr. Marie.




Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?


Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Want to receive pet coupons, vet advice and info on new pet products in your inbox?

* indicates required

We'll only send you great stuff, never spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Customer reply:

Hi Dr. Marie,

Thank you so much for your quick response. The vet got back to me last night about the specific issues that had caused them concern.

He said that Max's BUN (or BUF, it was a voicemail so it was hard to hear) was at 47 and Maddie's was at 55 and it shouldn't be much higher than 30 or 31. He also mentioned that their more sensitive test for creatinin came back at 0.8, and that they don't get concerned until it reaches about 1.1 so the creatin level was good.

He also basically said that because their BUN was over 10% out of range, that as a precaution they wanted to re-test.


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

You're very welcome.

OK, so the Creatinine, as you mentioned is the value that we worry about the most with kidney disease. The BUN does seem a little high.

If I have an animal with higher than normal kidney enzymes I usually recommend having the owner bring in a urine sample and we check how concentrated it is using something called a refractometer. If there is any kidney disease at all the urine will be very dilute. If not, then we don't need to worry about the BUN. In my office this test would run you about $16 per dog.

Some dogs will have a high BUN for unknown reasons that really aren't important. I have seen some dogs have a high BUN if they eat a lot of human food, especially meat.

It's not a bad idea at some point to repeat some bloodwork but I don't know that it is an absolute urgency to do it now.

It's never wrong to do blood tests. I'm also a little bit reluctant at any time to contradict what your vet is recommending to you as I don't always have the full picture of what is going on.

But, my gut instinct is that if your dogs are bright and happy dogs then I would just have some routine bloodwork done with their annual exam in June. If there still are some BUN elevations then, then you can have your vet look at a urine sample too.





Customer reply:

Thank you so much for your time and knowledge. I think I will wait, but definitely have the tests run in June when they are there for their annual exams.


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Sounds like a good plan!



Search for similar questions:

ask a vet

Popular questions...

Dog ate vetoryl My younger dog ate some food that had vetoryl in it meant for my older dog. Will it... (25691 views)

Fearful Sheltie. my dog is very nervous of new people and places. she is very nervous and can't focus... (11543 views)

Stuffed up dog. We are a foster home/rescue home for dogs. We brought in a new foster two weeks ago... (63638 views)

Licking at lump on leg. Hi! My name is Sachiyo Ono and I have a question about my pet. I am only 14 so I... (30902 views)

Dog licking anus after vaccines. The day after a routine vax appt with a new vet, our dog suddenly began licking her... (15092 views)

Should I do these tests? I have two shih tzu's from the same litter. They were born on 1/29/09, so they are... (18839 views)

Dog has heart failure. Hello, I am considering adopting a special needs dog. He is 3 and has a grade 3... (8817 views)

Ivermectin toxicity? Help! I think that I am accidentally poisoning my boy 4 year old by giving him... (18730 views)

Dog ate Sentinel Shug got into the Sentinel package...pills are missing...what is the... (23100 views)

Do cats get pink eye? My cat had a "pink eye" this weekend while I was away, according to the pet sitter. ... (7042 views)

See all questions...

Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.