Dog ate chocolate?

 ask a vet

Cat has high ALT.

Species: Dog
Breed: medium hair mongrel
Age: 11-15 years
my cat was diagnosed with high alt liver enzyme and hi white blood cell count in mid-june--she had been not wanting to eat.an ultrasound was done and no cancer was found,no small intestine inflammation and possible a little pancreas inflammation.because of the white blood cell count she was put on antibiotic( clavamox) for one week.she is an epileptic cat and gets phenobarbitol (2x/day) but was told the elevated enzyme was not due to that(testing for pheno barb was also done).she was also put on 100mg zentonil advanced (1x/day).a week after antibiotic was finished she had more blood work done--the alt had gone from 195 to 95 and the white blood cell count had gone down but not in the normal range(but near to).continued with the zentonil--her appetite had returned and she was now on better food.two weeks after this blood test took her in for another blood test---only her enzyme levels were checked.however,the alt had gone back up to 135.now told to wait a month to "see what happens" and take her in again for more blood work.she has gained 9 ounces in the two weeks between the two blood tests.i am wondering what could be going on and what the chances are that things will return to normal in the next month.


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi and thanks for your question.

It sounds like your vet has been very thorough.

There are a number of reasons for an increase in ALT in a cat and often it is hard to determine why.

I think your vet's approach to the slightly increased ALT is good. An ALT level of 135 is really only slightly above the normal level. Personally, I don't get terribly worried until I see an ALT of greater than 300. (However, a slight ALT combined with the symptoms of not eating well would make me want to do additional tests on the liver.)

as Fluffy is improving and gaining weight I think it is a good plan to wait and see how things go and then retest the ALT after a month.

Do you know if your vet has done pre and post prandial bile acids? These blood tests can often tell us if there is a problem with liver function. If these tests are normal then usually this tells us that we don't need to be too worried about the liver.

Some cats will have an increase in ALT because of mild pancreatitis or inflammatory bowel disease, or even possibly hyperthryoidism. Most likely your vet has checked for these as well.

It sounds like you and your vet are on the right track.

I hope things continue to improve.

Dr. Marie.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


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.

Search for similar questions:

ask a vet

Popular questions...

Dime sized sore above eye. Turbo has a dime size sore just above his left eye. Ive tried washing with peroxide... (16976 views)

Sneezing, vomiting, coughing. my cat is sneezing vomiting coughing breathing through his mouth and has hard... (22313 views)

Arthritis medicine for dogs. Zoey recently has been having trouble walking. I think it may be her hips? She does... (6424 views)

Cat is killing lizards. My cat keeps killing lizards that come inside the house. I have tryed spraying water... (14097 views)

Stopped Rimadyl because dog is sick. I thought we could have a back and forth conversation? Oh well Aussie aprx 12... (24249 views)

Back leg shaking. My aging Pit bull terrier's back leg shakes like he has Parkinson's disease. Back... (8034 views)

Did raw food cause death? Hi, Dr. Marie, My sweet Shiva, who has been with me since an 8-wk old pup in 2002,... (7213 views)

Grade 5 heart murmur in kitten. I raise and show Devon Rexes. I have a litter of 6 kittens that were 8 weeks old... (9819 views)

Disc problems. Hello, Two weeks ago my 9 year old Black Lab start to have problems with his hind... (10703 views)

Not eating or using litter box. about 4 or 5 days ago my cat stopped eating and using the bethroom for about 2 days.... (13861 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.