Liver And Bile (Hepatobiliary) Disease. What else should we do to help our dog? Clinical Biochemistry. Today I took my Coco in for her yearly shots. The GGT test Has anyone experienced such high levels or these types of numbers in such a young dog? However, it is more invasive than many of the other tests. Hi Ashley, I decide to find another internal vetereniarian. Dr Kidd says that this monitoring would make him feel very comfortable making treatment decisions for almost any emergency. If your veterinarian finds nodules, masses, or other liver abnormalities, he or she may recommend a fine needle aspirate as the next diagnostic step. He also takes a probiotic daily, dasaquin, and Welactin Fish Oil, and takes Heartgard monthly. Your vet probably has one they like and recommend and would be willing to prescribe. is always hungry and eats anything she can find on the ground. The vet that I took him too said the high ALP could be related to muscle pain or teeth tartar. It sounds like your vet is working through all the standard testing to rule out this possibility before moving on to other diagnostics if needed. Her ALT was 378 and her ALKP was 1429! Is that true? In Dogs I started her on Denamarin. However she has a alp of 685 and I understand that the new drug should not be given with pre-exitsting liver damage. As a result, he needed a dental procedure under anesthesia to remove the damaged tooth and clean the rest of his teeth. Feel free to leave an update if you have a chance. This test is a great tool to useas a part of the dogs permanent record. Scottish Terriers can also have a similar condition. His ALP was 1400. Also doctor prescribed her fluconazole for her skin but not improve as well. The vet said everything else was normal, but upon looking at the results, I noticed that his ALP is 249. It might be a good idea to talk to your vet about pursuing an abdominal ultrasound. With an ALP of 1842 there is no way this is caused by stress alone. While you are discussing these concerns with your vet, you can also ask about some additional testing such as blood work to check bile acids, tick titers to rule out diseases like leptospirosis, and possibly abdominal ultrasound to make sure there is no mass present in the liver. If it were cancer, wouldnt there he be exhibiting symptoms? cholestasis) will cause increased serum ALP levels in dogs. Wishing you and Meg the best. We put him on a liver supplement for 30 days and the ALP level was higher than his previous test. He does have some thinning skin on his abdomen. Please support the hard working holistic vets who make this information possible. WebYour Pets Gamma Glutamyl Transferase Levels aka = GGT, GGTP, GT, GGT. I am taking my 14 year old peak-a- tease in for an abdominal ultrasound. Hi Melissa, There are several good supplements available that help with liver function such as Denamarin. This is the focus of much of the rest of the article. My 11 year old yellow lab, Goldie, had blood work that indicates a high ALT level (296) and a high ALKP level (560). Those 10 days were AWFUL. Feel free to leave an update if you have a chance. He still struggles with his hips the CT showed the right one is BAD. If I wanted to pursue these weird symptoms, would the next step be a Cushings day at the vet? I know how concerned you must be about this elevated liver enzyme on your senior boys blood work. Dog Blood Tests For Decision-Making Before making decisions about a major non-emergency procedures, Dr Kidd recommends Chemistry panels ; CBC; Urinalysis; Dog Blood Tests For Specific Organs. Any chance theres a dietary or exercise fix? WebComplete Blood Count (CBC): We analyze your dog's blood to assess features of the blood, including red and white cell count, immunity status, and the measure of hemoglobin, which is the actual substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen; Blood Clotting Times: We test your dog's blood for bleeding disorders I hope you find the answers you need to give Fazzie the best life possible. I understand your concern with these elevated liver enzymes in your senior girl. She has had increased thirst and a rounder tummy lately. I hope you can get a diagnosis so treatment can be started quickly. Serum GGT activity is largely derived from the hepatobiliary system. Pretty much her normal self. Since you mentioned your girl has a large belly, they may want to test her for Cushings disease. to get a diagnosis. Best wishes and feel free to leave an update if you have a chance. Even more specifically, it is associated with the liver cells that line the bile ducts. The two ways to sample the liver are fine needle aspiration or biopsy. During a particularly vigorous stick chewing session he had cracked a tooth. It is hard to weigh the pros and cons when thinking about the heart arrhythmia, possible liver dysfunction, and the fact your pup is already of advanced age for her breed. It is not a bad idea to pursue further testing. Shes already on proin for her spay incontinence for past 2 years or so. There is always some risk with anesthesia even if blood work is completely normal. Hi Kimberly, After a level of 571 vet recommended milk thistle, and he had a recheck and remained elevated (slightly more so into the 600 level for ALKP). He had bloodwork done and his cardio lab work was all normal. He drinks a lot of water. Do you find dog bloodtests confusing? I understand your concerns with this elevated liver enzyme found on your dogs lab work. Hi, our 11 year old lab/ Dane mix just had his yearly physical and senior blood panel .. all results were perfect except his ALP was 1138. Should a month suffice? Getting early warning of a developing problem could be helpful in managing treatment. serum gamma-glutamyltransferase in canine liver Learn more. The three most important forms are ALP from the liver (L-ALP), ALP made in the bone (B-ALP), and ALP that is released in response to excess levels of corticosteroids (C-ALP). Last night she started having a twitching most of the night and seemed more restless. Shell explain what your dogs results mean when theyre not within the normal range. Hi Mike, Hi Susan, Wishing you the best of luck. Ultrasound scheduled next week. Hello. Sampson, a 12-year-old Jack Russell Terrier mix with a zest for chewing sticks and chasing squirrels, was in to visit me recently. There are many more tests that can be done to evaluate the liver and rule out potential causes, but I too would recommend starting with the ultrasound. That will be done this weekend. I hope you can find the answers you are looking for to help make a decision you are comfortable with. His teeth werent great in September but he now has severe dental disease, which could explain the spike from 322 to 800. My 14-month old 43 pound mini bernedoodle has had significantly elevated ALP levels for the past 6 months. Liver And Bile (Hepatobiliary) Disease. I think the odds of this being anomalous finding are very low. I understand your concern for your Beagle and these elevated liver enzymes. No one is absolutely sure what its function is, (GGT is probably involved in metabolizing the amino acid, glutamine, or glutathione peptides). The good news is that in most dogs, the liver values quickly go back to normal when the vet weans them off phenobarbital and onto one of the other medications available to help control seizures. In general, X-rays and ultrasound are the two most common types of imaging offered in veterinary medicine. As the name implies, L-ALP elevations are often related to issues with the liver. Hi Tracey, I have a shih tzu 10 years old. Veterinarian Randy Kidd DVM PhD holds a PhD in Clinical Pathology. Any thoughts on next steps or things to look for? Our 10 year old Maltipoo has ALP of 1400. Hi Steve, WebA gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) test measures the amount of GGT in the blood. The Denamarin helps with both liver enzymes (ALP & ALT) since it acts as a liver protectant and contributes to liver health and repair. DNM RECOMMENDS: Maintain your dogs overall health with Four Leaf Rovers Protect, a daily soil-based probiotic that supports the immune system and helps remove toxins. Also, he gets stressed during blood draws so Im wondering what would be a normal elevated Alkaline Phosphatase level due to cortisol increase in stress. Urine showed blood. Do you believe this could be a factor? I hope the ultrasound results will help to guide the treatment process. ggt This way you can get a better look at the liver itself and evaluate the other internal organs for abnormalities. The liver is an amazing organ that has, by many estimates, over 500 critical jobs in the body. I understand your concern about these liver changes and decreased appetite in your little pup. GGT is a liver enzyme. Gamma-glutamyl Transferase (GGT) Test .. vet wants to test for cushings . GGT may be measured along with other tests (such as the ALT, AST, ALP, and bilirubin tests) to differentiate between liver or bile duct disorders and bone disease. You are right to be concerned about your Schnauzer and these recent changes to her bloodwork. Obviously I do not know if this is true in your case but gall stones are likely to change the other tests as well while pancreatic cancer is much less common! I worried about Cushings. The drawback of aspirates is that they do not always yield a diagnosis. We all want the very best for our dogs. In Dr Kidds view, the most important test that you can do is simply observing your dog! The radiologist reported changes in the appearance of his liver that looked consistent with benign nodular hyperplasia, which was good news. Hi I have an 8 yr old cockapoo. I am sorry Carley is having issues with elevated liver enzymes. It would be a good idea to talk to your vet about your concerns and see what they recommend. For a chemistry panel, the vet or vet nurse will draw a small amount of blood from your dog and place in a test tube. Reading these other posts have been helpful. Bladder was fine. He was throwing up one nigtht and anorexic for almost 2 days so I decided to let him to the vet, his Vet assessed him and his blood got tested. In September, she had a liver biopsy (and whilst under, a full dental clean for the first time). I understand your concern for your senior girl with these high liver values. Blood Tests It may be mildly increased in dogs with Cushings disease. Best wishes to you both. It was over 1000. a type of liver cancer), Cholecystitis (i.e. However, unlike ALP, GGT is not elevated with increased osteoblastic activity (e.g., growing dogs) and may not be elevated in dogs on anticonvulsant medication. If elevated ALP activity is noted with a concurrent increase in serum GGT activity, specificity for liver disease increases to 94%.8. Cushings disease causes an elevated level of steroids in the body. This allowed your vet to catch this early and intervene on your little guys behalf. I have decided to proceed with an ultrasound next week. Shes been on Denamarin for about a month since the tests were done. I think you are doing the right things and Phoenix is lucky to have you advocating for his health and wellbeing. I hope you can get some answers and find a clear path forward with treatment. Hi Linda, Did you get some answers? I cant find any other reference of such an extremely high level. Blood Test: Gamma-Glutamyl Transpeptidase (GGT Doctor said she is going to treat her with anipryl. We are having him do a Dexamethasone test with blood draw twice at 4 hrs and 8 hrs after to see the bodies effect on regulating Cortisol to see if Cushions Disease, while the test cant necessarily determine up front which Cushions Disease it may be. In veterinary medicine we often start with fine needle aspirates over biopsies. I would not be worried about the Breeze pellets. Trouble getting into a vet. Sampson recovered uneventfully and is back to enjoying his crunchy dog biscuits and even the occasional stick (although sticks are not on my list of safe chew toys for dogs). Hes done fairly well but with fairly consistent red allergic paws the past few years that vets said likely food allergy or seasonal allergies. WebGGT (Gamma glutamyl transferase) GGT is an enzyme that is often considered one of the most sensitive indicators of liver or bile disease. cancer of bile ducts), Gastroenteritis (I.e. In the past 3 days she has had a sudden onset of blindness, from seeing to not seeing . So here are some questions to ask yourself before heading to the vet. anaphylaxis for no reason we could find, ruptured ear drums, foxtails, pneumonia, torn and repaired ACLs, allergies.the works. I understand your concern with these abnormal results in your senior pup. This is generally very light sedation and can usually be reversed if needed. Glucose is blood sugar. To find the cause of this abnormal ALP results I think you will need to look elsewhere. Its a common enzyme found in many of your bodys tissues and organs, including your liver. Feel free to leave an update if you have a chance. As long as the bacteria that is causing the problem is sensitive to the antibiotic that was prescribed, it should clear up within a few weeks. Blood Clotting Times: We test your dog's blood for bleeding disorders. I while heartedly trust my vet but just doing a little reading up on high numbers. Hes always been so healthy. Glucose is the end product of carbohydrate metabolism and is the primary source of energy for the body. Does that sound alarming? Glucose is blood sugar. Glucose is the end product of carbohydrate metabolism and is the primary source of energy for the body. Report / Delete 1 Reply. June 2016. The high APL came out of nowhere. He or she will also look at the levels of the other liver values on the chemistry panel. One limitation to ultrasound is that while it can determine if the liver looks abnormal, it cannot definitively pinpoint the underlying cause of masses, nodules, or other abnormalities. I have been in contact with my vet last night and today. My question is the number (I did find ant info on the actual numbers) and whether she is in any danger. Reading This Could Save Your Dog's Life. GGT They should be able to make the referral. Hi Cole, For example, if your dogs BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen) results are high, that might be a sign of kidney disease or it might just mean your dog was dehydrated when the test was done. ascites? I am sorry your Shih Tzu is having issues with her liver function. Increased ALP activity is common in young dogs who are growing rapidly because normal bone growth releases B-ALP. I have to admit I do not have much personal experience with treating this condition and cant give you advice on if the Propafenone is a good idea. Usually the organ-specific panels are run in combination with a complete physical, CBC, and urinalysis. We knew that his tooth was uncomfortable. Diet and weight also should not cause an increase to liver enzymes. Your girl might also benefit from a trial course of a liver supplement/protectant such as SAMe, Milk Thistle, or Denamarin. My female 14yo Mini Schnauzers bloodwork showed ALT 824 (251 in early June), ALP 1680 (62 in early June), GGT 23 (normal in June). Last week they were 392 and thats after six months of specialty food and taking denamarin. I hope the Denamarin will be the solution to your senior girls problem. Thanks for any insight. That was how we found that Sampsons ALP, while normal on his last yearly bloodwork, was now moderately high. I hope you can find the answers you need to make the best choices for you and your sweet girl. Blood tests understanding your Praying for a positive outcome for your sweet girl. The costs vary widely depending on the test and where you live. If your senior guy does have Cushings, then you should notice positive changes relatively quickly once the medications are administered. I am glad you have an ultrasound scheduled with your vet and would be interested to know what they find. grunting. Some even like to have an abdominal ultrasound preformed to rule out a tumor. I will attach links to other articles with additional information on Cushings. Thankfully integrative veterinarian Dr. Julie Buzby is here to help you make sense of high ALP in dogs. We drew blood work. In cases where the ALP elevation is severe, your dog is feeling poorly, or your dog has other liver enzyme elevations, then your veterinarian may recommend additional liver function testing. There are many diseases and issues that can cause an elevation in liver enzymes. Praying for good news and that treatment can be started quickly. I understand your concern for your senior Lab and these increased liver enzymes on her bloodwork. While stress can raise cortisol levels in the body, I have never seen it cause the ALP to increase outside the normal reference range. If things do not improve as hoped, the next step will probably be x-rays or ultrasound. What Does It Mean When GGT Is High ALP 677 with a normal range of 5-160. I pray you can take things day by day and will have the strength to navigate the unknown road ahead. Dog Blood Tests My dog is having trouble with her back legs, having accidents in the house (both) and just starting to look like she is failing. I would be highly surprised if the spray was the culprit behind this issue or if it even contributed at all. WebThis test measures the level of GGT in the bloodstream. Reading This Could Save Your Dogs Life, Regulating blood sugar (along with the pancreas), Taking old red blood cells out of circulation. Shes in great health physically but over the past year Ive noticed what I thought (and my vet agreed) were lipomas. I understand why you are concerned about this elevated ALP in your senior pup. If having answers will give you peace of mind, then I say go for it. If your dog has an elevated ALP level, ensure you tell your veterinarian about all the medications your dog is taking or has recently taken. Alternatively, your vet may use a large needle tool (i.e. His most recent test it was around 2700 and had slightly elevated white blood cells. Next, the vet will take another blood sample two hours later to see if the liver was able to remove the released bile acids from the bloodstream. I have a Mini Schnauzer 16 lbs who will be 12 next month. I took him in because I noticed hed been peeing more frequently. This means that elevations predominantly occur if there are issues with the flow of bile, either within the liver, or as it leaves the gallbladder. and Platelet count of 500,000. If the liver is working well, these bile acids are pulled back out of the bloodstream to be recycled and used again. I am glad you decided to move forward with an ultrasound in hopes of obtaining some answers and possibly a diagnosis. How many days of not eating should you worry? In the GGT test, a healthcare professional measures the levels of GGT in a sample of blood. Rocky, my 5yr old pure bred Beagle has a high ALP on his blood work. He has recently had an increase in appetite, decrease in energy, and sometimes trembles. But from what Ive read there seems to be other things that could cause an elevated ALP and would also result in a positive pituitary cushings disease. He had a senior blood panel and everything was good but ASP was 818. In November she had another blood test and it was up to 431 and she started taking Hipaticlear. Dr. Julie Buzby January 6, 2022 92 Comments Share Finding out your senior dogs blood work showed a high ALP can be confusing and concerning. With that being said, it is usually not recommended to treat for Cushings unless symptoms are present. What Does It Mean When GGT Is High Wishing you and your pup the best. Bumps changed to more red. Very worried about our not-so-senior boy. I am happy to report that the procedure went great. My almost 8 yr old female spayed Shih Tzu hasnt been herself for about 6 months and in Feb of this year we had blood tests done and her bloodwork was good except for an elevated ALKP of 451 on 2/22.. 3. Apart from his sore tooth, Sampson was his normal squirrel-chasing self. This will help identify your dogs health trends and catch any changes. Thank you! Buzby!!! She was put on Samilyn, a liver supplement, for a month and then had another blood test to check ALP and test for Cushings; test came back negative but her count had raised to 2812.