Cat has high ALT.

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.

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