# Elevated ALT - 10 months old



## stealthq (Aug 4, 2011)

I would be too - I've had a cat with liver disease before and don't ever want to do that again. With my pet health history, I don't do the 'wait 6mo. and we'll see' thing anymore. That just lands me with a deathly ill pet :/

The good thing is that livers can repair themselves. If it were me, I'd start giving your dog SAM-e and Milk Thistle. Both are clinically proven to help with liver function (they are prescribed by both vets and human doctors for liver support), and as far as I know have no negative side effects.

I used them plus force fed my cat for about 6wks. There was no other treatment for him. He did eventually turn around and was very healthy and active until he died from an unrelated heart defect (like I said, I have a bad history w/ pet health).


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## tortoise (Feb 5, 2012)

I'll ask the other vet about milk thistle. My vet (my fiance) doesn't like my dog.  It is BARELY elevated. I don't know the cutoffs, but I saw the idexx printout and it was right on the line between normal and high.


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

Since the other enzymes weren't elevated, I wouldn't worry about it. If I recall, you'd have to do a creatinine (or maybe creatine- can't remember which) to see if it is specific to the liver or not (could be a bruise or something that is causing the elevaton).If you're concerned, you could ask for the additional workup, but if you look hard enough, all of us will have some body glich or another.


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## tortoise (Feb 5, 2012)

I don't remember if creatinine was in the bloodwork. I will look into it more.


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## flyingpoodle (Feb 5, 2012)

*In humans...*

In people you don't start worrying until liver enzymes are three to five times the upper limit of normal, they have a wide margin unlike some other lab numbers. Creatinine is kidneys. I didn't go to pharmacy school for nothin', I had to pay for it ( bada bump, my favorite joke)!


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

Then it's Creatine you want.


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