Clueless about elevated ALT

[Monica_D]

Willow is my first pet ever, so I am pretty clueless about all of this stuff, so please bear with me.

We brought Willow (six-month-old female cat) to her vet to have her spayed.  Before the spay, they tested her blood to see if she would have any problems with anesthesia and such.  When they did the test, they found her ALT levels to be slightly elevated (175) so they thought the spay would be a bad idea at the time.  They sent her home with two weeks of antibiotics, since she wasn't showing any symptoms of a serious problem, and told us to bring her back to be re-checked later.  We gave her the medicine and crossed our fingers.

About three weeks, we bring her back to the vet.  Her ALT levels are through the roof (595) and she is still showing no symptoms of a problem.  Everyone we talk to says she should be lethargic and should have a loss of appetite, drooling, diarrhea, etc.  They are going to test her for a liver shunt, and we are getting a second opinion, but does anyone have any suggestions?  Thanks so much for any help.

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

Put her on a milk thistle supplement ASAP.  She would need 1/8 to 1/4 of a human adult dose twice per day.  The supplement is available at most stores that sell vitamins and supplements.  Also place her on a probiotic supplement.

I would have an abdominal ultrasound performed on your cat just in case.  If it is a tiny shunt, it will not affect her quality of life.  Shunts and other congenital abnormalities can be successfully treated.

[Monica_D]

The Vet gave us Marin to giver her.  Will the milk thistle or probiotic supplement interfere with that?  We do have an ultrasound scheduled, thanks so much for the advice!