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High ALT Liver Test -

I need advice.

I have a year and a half yellow lab.   Last year, when we had his bloodwork done, we noticed that his liver ALT levels were high.  (close to 500)   The vet at that time put him on clayamox for a few weeks and re-tested.  His levels only decreased slighty.   Out of concern, we had a ultrasound done.  Ultrasound results came back absoutley normal.   The vet pretty much said, lets play the "wait and see game"  

Since then, we have switched vets.   We recently had bloodwork done and again my dog's ALT liver levels are still high. (Everything else is normal in his bloodwork!)  My dog acts fine. He's very active, not lethargic at all, eats & drinks well, hasn't been throwing up, no jaundice or anything like that.   The vet now recommended to do a liver bx .   She says, the wait and see game could only lead to more serious things.  If we wait, years to come, if something came up, it may be too late to correct the probelm.  

I've done some research.   Most liver diseases the dog shows signs and symptoms.   I would think
if things were really serious with my dog, he'd be pretty sick. What do you think?

I am doing a liver bx in a few weeks.  

Any ideas on what this may be?  
68 Responses
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462827 tn?1333168952
Hello & welcome......There are 4 specific Enzymes that diagnose Liver Problems....The Most common are ALT & ALKP (Alkaline Phosphatase)....In your dog, is it only the ALT? How how were they the last time? (At the New Vet)...

Has either of these Vets suggested medication (Other than the antibiotic) for a month or two & then a retest? There are wonderful meds/supplements to help filter toxins in the Liver.....Did your Vet offer anything like SAMe, Denosyl, Zentonil, etc.  These products work beautifully...Your Vet DOES sell one!

With NO symptoms, I'd be looking for toxins that your guy is getting into.....This can be anything from low quality dogfood (Enhanced with artificial preservatives, dyes, & chemicals), flea & tick products, toxic tap water, heartworm medication, chemicals on the lawn or floors, etc......

What do you feed? What treats does he get? There are recalls on products frequently because of toxins......You need to be looking at EVERYTHING that goes in his mouth or is absorbed through the shin.....

There's a starting point....Let us know what you think.....Others will come by with suggestions........Karla
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Preservatives are big culprit. Most dog roofs even so called natural can have tons of bad stuff in it. Look up Dr. Marty online. I am going to start using his food as a topper. Food has to be switched gradually. My 13 year old Westie has horrible skin allergies which are under control but we spend about $200 monthly on her meds. Apoquel, Ulrimino dry food, several eye drops and ointment as well as ear medication. Food through Chewy is much cheaper, also Apoquel through —800-PETMEDS much cheaper. My little girls liver and kidney blood results are very high. Am very concerned. May try a holistic vet. Anyone know a good brand of Milk Thistle and dosing?
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Avatar universal
Same with my dog. Liver biopsy was a waste of time and money and was so traumatic for him. It found nothing! Not worth it.
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Avatar universal
I have the same issue.  My 4 year old is on clavamex and baytril, and denamarin. His alt went from 750 to 200 in 2 months.  After month 3 we are taking him off it to see if numbers go up.  If they do, he will be in ircodial for life.  Ultrasound shows he forms gallstones and that’s why alt is high. Not sure what else to do!
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
I am having the same problem with my Rat Terrier! He is 14 now but has been on the same meds you listed for years. What could be causing this? Too common.
Avatar universal
Milk thistle
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks Karla for the valuable information. We have been running pillar to post since a year for our 6 year old lab. We moved to vietnam a year back and he has been having his ALT levels high since then which led to his skin problems and the vets here had no clue why. I think the answer might be Heartgard which the doctor started him on every month since we moved here. This does contain Ivermectin. We shall stop this forever now and see how he fares. Thanks again karla.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
My boy is on heartgard I wonder if that is why his liver ALT was 1476 then 2280 and now after 4 weeks of Prednisone it's down to 880 but now his LIPA is way up
Avatar universal
OMG I have been reading all this I'm learning so much I have a little 5# yorkie Bella she starting vomiting and diarrhea 3 days ago not eating or drinking took her to the vet was told her liver enzymes were elevated ALT was 318 I am devastated going back In a month for re check any thoughts
Helpful - 0
2 Comments
My boys ALT was 1476 had ultrasound and two needle aspirations of his liver (both had no hepatic cells in them guess Dr missed his liver) so no diagnosis vet put on multiple medications ALT shot up to 2280 put him on prednisone had liver blood work two weeks later and now his LIPA is way up ALT down to 880 vet says he "thinks" he'll be ok to go ahead with the Dental I'm $1750.00 poorer with no definite answers..... and  worried sick about putting him under anesthesia
And this all began with blood work for a needed dental....my boy is not sick has no symptoms at all I'm hemorrhaging money without finding out the reason for his frightening high ALT
Avatar universal
And ultrasound showed nothing
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Milk thistle
Avatar universal
PS vet has her on Denamarin in the meantime.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I recently had full bloodwork done for all of my dogs. My lab - who has in-remission autoimmune issues - has tested high twice for alb:glob @1.3, and alt @249. I had been giving her MultiGuard Plus for years - which contains Ivermectin. My Q is, I am stopping that now - based on your post (THANK YOU); how long would it take for enzymes to reduce if that is the culprit? Switching to Interceptor as you recommend. OR 2nd Q: how dangerous is it really to not give heartworm prevention to dogs? Because of the autoimmune, she gets mininal vacines - is heartworm medication likely to trigger an eposide? And hell, it seems to me that NONE would be a whole lot healthier than giving them something you can legally buy, but turns out to be POISON. Good GOD. Thank you. -deb
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am so sorry about your little dog mine as well has a high liver count and also did a bile count which was high. I understand deliver can rejuvenate itself I can't afford to have a ultrasound so I have to go with my gut and tell myself to do with the doctor said which was Royal canine for liver disease dogs I give my dog you know quarter of a can at a time when she will eat fresh water from a bottle and lactose for her gut an antibiotic she also get say Sam e for dogs with liver problems I hope I am doing enough,she's all I have left.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My vet in NC recommended Denamarin for pets - it works a lot like milk thistle - and little Rosie's ALT has come down in the past year from 848,000 last June to 149,000  on  2-6-16 (high normal is listed at 100,000) - I did a lot of research on this and found a lot of books with diets - I found a good book by Cyndi Smasal called Hope for Healing Liver Disease in Your Dog. I hope things worked out well for you as I a lot of time has passed since your post. Hopefully it will also help someone else doing research for their dog.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I too went thru the dehydrated chicken strips from China . My dog had bleeding colitis and had anti biotic therapy for two days, she is doing well, but now has an elevated enzyme in liver, we are looking at possible cause heart worm pill now? It's scary when you don,t know what is causing it?
Helpful - 0
9644933 tn?1407768890
She is doing much better now. Thank you for asking. It is confusing because there is SO much information out there. I went into survival mode when I was told we didn't have much time left and researched like CRAZY!
Her specialist formulated a couple of recipies for homemade food. They are simple in ingrediants. I would be happy to share what I have with you. One site that gave me some hope was http://www.scamperingpaws.com/liver-disease-dogs/. I found it to be realistic and close to what I was going through. It may help you as well. What kind of dog do you have? How old?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
How is your dog?  Mine is going thru something similar and I have been researching different foods to feed him homemade.  It's all so confusing.  He has to be on low fat and low protein.  Hope your dog is doing much better.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
DONT feed Milos. It's the worst thing you could give him. Look it up on the internet. It's all made in China with no food requirements so you don't know what they are using. I use Nudges Jerkey Cuts. Made in America.by Tyson. Please do an internet check on any food you give your dog. Food you may think is fine actually is toxic.
Helpful - 0
9644933 tn?1407768890
I have a 3 year old Australian Shepard who is deaf due to a double merle breeding. I brought her into the vet several times with concerns that she just didn't seem right. Occasional diarrhea, inappetance, frequent drinking and increased urination were all on my list but they were never consistent symptoms as they would come and go. On top of this I had been working with her and a vulva issue for months that included multiple vet visits, creams, etc. They finally said she had urinary incontinence and put her on a steroid. Nothing helped. Finally I took her back in and insisted on blood work. All was normal aside from an ALT of 235. The vet proceeded and gave her 3 vaccines as part of an annual checkup. Lepto, Lyme and Rabies. I was told to retest in 3 weeks to see if the levels would lower. I didn't make it to 3 weeks. Two weeks later she threw up bile and would tremble after the smallest amount of food which I really had to coax her to even eat. I brought her into the vet and just two weeks later ALP of 202, TBIL of 11 and ALT of 1392. I rushed her from my regular vet to a DMV medical center with 24 hour care where she was on IV for 72 hours and an ultrasound was performed. Despite the time on IV her blood levels never dropped. The ultrasound showed no signs of a shunt or tumor but they did advise her liver was very small and abnormal in shape. The specialist said that he felt we were dealing with a chronic liver disease which would result in failure, but the only way to know for sure was a biopsy. When I asked if the biopsy would determine the cause to cure her, he said no. He felt strongly she was born with a defect and managed up till this point. Pre blood work even demonstrated that her clotting factors were down so the biopsy was a risk in itself. I made the decision to bring my baby home as I did not see the point of her spending any more time there. He advised me with her levels and no improvement, I probably had 2 days and he sent me home with a small supply of a nausea meds and a probiotic. At this point I took to the internet and researched and reached out. It's been 6 weeks now that she is home. Maintaining her takes all of my time outside of my employment as I cook for her, feed her many small meals, time her supplements etc. It is of course worth it. I have brought her back twice since initially brining her home for further exams on her vulva. They took a culture and prescribed Baytril to treat a susceptible infection.  Each time I have brought her in since they run urine and blood work. Last week her urine gravity was almost normal as was all her blood work aside from an ALT of 234. Next week I am taking her in for a biopsy of the skin on her vulva and a bile acid test to determine the function of the liver. I am still not comfortable with a liver biopsy at this time. Was it the steroids that caused this, the vaccines, the infection of the vulva, her genetics? The point is I don't know if I will ever really know and that seems to be the frustration with the liver. All I can hope is that my little girl can stay stable and I hope the drop in enzymes is in fact a sign of recovery and not a cover up from the remedies I was been practicing. I currently give her denosyl, a liver cleanse, vitamin K and most importantly I am cooking for her myself. All natural and balanced. Is what I am doing helping, is the baytril playing a big role? Again, I don't know. All I know right now is she still wags her tail when I get home. After I wake her up of course, since she didn't hear me come home... ;)

I guess I am posting this to share my experience, learn from others and offer any advice on what I have done so far if it will help anyone else. Hope to see some action soon. Thank you in advance!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
DO Not give any chicken jerky or strips!!!!
Most of it is made from tainted chicken from China..especially Milo's kitchen treats!!!!!
They will go
Into renal failure and die.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Just had to hospitalize my 8yr old boxer/bull mix. He was started on thyroid meds about 3 weeks ago during blood work was told  at was slightly high but probably due to weight and age.  He was given updated rabies/distemper and had to return for booster shot and also recheck of thyroid.  He had booster on Saturday ate food later that day and was fine. Sunday he quit eating, ate some on Monday by hand feeding and got him to eat Wednesday night. Thursday am he threw up twice. Took him to vet and now his atl is 1200.  Hesnhaving xrays and fluids and everything dog hospitalization brings.  In don't understand in 3 weeks time how things changed. He's been acting the same , heck more energetic since thyroid meds.  Now they're cheching for liver disease or possible mass. I don't know what to do or what caused this! Any insights or recommendations??
Helpful - 0
7536605 tn?1391731335
I have a French Bulldog I've been going through high ALT issues with. What ended up being the issues with your frenchie? My Frenchie was diagnosed with demodex mange so we treated him with ivermectin at the vet's direction for roughly 8 weeks until it cleared up. He was then pre-neuter given a blood draw and his ALT level was 1121 and all his other levels were normal. We then did a bile acid test to rule out a liver shunt, that test came back normal. He was then put on Denamarin to help his liver after the Ivermectin. 2 weeks later blood was drawn again and his level was 953 so we are continuing the remaining 2 weeks of his Denamarin to redo the blood draw and maybe do an x-ray pending that result. He's not showing any symptoms and appears healthy. Does anyone have any similar stories to share or advice? We're really not sure what's going on. The vet said they could neuter him, but we opted to hold off given the risk.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
sorry to hear...i know how sad it is...I've had 6 animals plus a horse put down due to old age (cancer, stroke etc) in the last 6 years. The oldest cat was 16 and the youngest cat was 8. The others were my dogs who had cancer, stroke and just general old age diseases. I put my horse down last week and my last dog who is 14 has kidney issues so its nearing the end again. I sympathize with you...its very difficult when they are your best friend and not that old.  You are not alone though as my neighbour had to euthanize her dog at four as he had some kind of inoperable issue and was suffering. She was very very upset about losing him. It sounds like you did everything possible for him. Even if they caught something early there is no guarantee it would have mattered. My neighbours dog was okay one day and the next week he was gone. Hang in there...you did everything you could.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
ook my 10 year old dog in to have a mass removed from her right side on Jan. 2nd - it turned out to be cancer. When they did the pre-anesthesia screen her ALT was 108...I just had a full blood work panel done yesterday Jan. 22nd - CBC, Thyroid, Chemistry...her ALT is now 216 BUT the vet said that could be from the anesthesia still being worked out of her system, or the medications she took afterwards.

Other than her cholesterol being a bit high, everything else looked good. So is the jump in her ALT levels totally normal..or is something else going on?

Having her tested again next month. Trying not to think the worst...but seeing the lab report on the mass has me freaked out.  

:(
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I lost my beloved heart dog Brody this past Aug. The first symptoms were elevated liver enzymes. I had an ultra sound done and they found a tumor on his liver. I tried to have it removed, but it was inoperable. They called me with him on the table and said he probably wouldn't survive the surgery. They did a biopsy instead. I tried everything to save his life. I also had a special treatment done, called a catheter embolization to try and block the tumors blood supply to hopefully shrink it. I was originally told after the biopsy, that it was a benign hepatoma, but in the end, it spread and had gotten so large that they felt it was definitely malignant. I guess the biopsy was useless. The embolization didn't really help either. I lost my Brody about 8.5 months after diagnosis. I had to let him go. It has been almost 6 months, and I still can't get over the pain and sadness of his loss. He was everything to me. He was only 8 years old. He should have had 8 more. My advice is, if the liver enzymes are at all high, do NOT ignore it. Do additional tests, ultra sound… I had been told about a year before the tumors discovery, that his liver enzymes were "just slightly elevated", and I should have them retested "whenever". The vet didn't make a big deal about it at the time, so I didn't think it was. Usually my vet is all about testing, and a lot of times they are over cautious, so when they didnt make a big deal out of it, I forgot about it. If only I had known what it might have meant. Maybe I could have found out sooner, maybe I could have saved him. He wasn't retested until almost a year later, after he suddenly had diarrhea that wouldn't go away. It came out of no where. I never expected to find out he had a tumor. He seemed so healthy and happy. The only thing that was wrong was the diarrhea, which I had taken him to the vet several times for. They said the two weren't even related…I would have done anything for him, but there was nothing I could do. I had to finally let him go. I have not been the same since. I feel like a light went out in my life.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Phenobarbitol can seriously harm the liver in some dogs.
Helpful - 0
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