Abnormal Liver Enzymes

Liver Enzymes and Alkp

Abnormal liver enzymes is something I often see at my dog patients. What are they and why are they so important?

I will give you these answers here....

Lets start with basic. Often we use two enzymes as a first test of the liver.

• ALT
• ALKP

Often this first check can be done in practice and within 5-10 minutes. I take a blood sample, analyze it in a machine (Vet Test) and after 5 min i see the result. It is fast, and information is very useful to decide further treatment. So what does abnormal liver enzymes blood values tell me?

ALT

Alt (Alanine Aminotransferase) is a enzyme lying inside the hepatocytes. Hepatocytes is another name for liver cells. When it is increased it tells me that cells are dying. They are leaking cytoplasm and we see this as an increase of ALT in the blood. So increases of ALT means a stressed organ and some of the liver cells are dying. The higher ALT the more cells are damaged. High ALT is not something that is positive.

ALKP

Alkp ( Alkaline Phosphatase) are placed in the space between the hepatocytes. This is the first finest small bits of the bile ducts. Where the bile ducts walls are the cell walls of the hepatocytes.It is the space between cells that makes these fine bile ducts.

ALKP are actually not solely liver placed. They are founded in other tissues t ex the intestines as well. If Alkp are raised it tells me the the bile system are under stress. I use to say the the liver is "swollen". Actually it is the liver cells that gets bigger, so the flow of bile in the small spaces between hepatocytes is made more difficult. A raise of this enzyme is not always serious.

Dog illness Symptoms - Clinical Practice

First of all, symptoms that makes me suspicious on liver disease could be:

• increased water intake
• Weight loss
• Vomiting
• Yellow color of skin
• Abdominal enlargement (ascites)

Often to fully use clinical value of blood samples take two tests 3-4 weeks apart to compare abnormal liver enzyme values. What is measured in one sample is like a snap shot. It is a picture of now.

Enzymes in the blood will get lower if no more enzymes are leaked to the circuit. To see whether a dog is improving or not, this principle are important to know. If values are lowered form the first test to the next, perhaps days or weeks later, this is a god sign. If higher values of liver enzymes - often seen as a less positive sign. Sorry.

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