Raised Liver Enzymes in a Dog Having Cushing

by Christine Bergman
(Worcester UK)

I have an 11years old Jack Russell spayed bitch. She was diagnosed with Cushings disease about 9 months ago,initially she settled well on 30mg Vetoryl daily and the stimulation test was done 1st monthly and then after 3 months. At the January reveiw she had ALKP 190 and an ALT of 234, she needed som dental extractions and also had conjunctivitis around the same time.
She has exhibited a swollen abdomen despite careful diet control, she has lost 0.25kg in the 6 week period between the next set of bloods she needed due to just looking unwell, her ALKP is now 293 and her ALT is 180, would you think from this result that there is ongoing damage to the liver that may not repair due to being on the Cushings drugs and also the nature of the disease process? I would really welcome your opinion!
I am "human" nurse trained so am very interested on the implications of these results.
Thank you.
My e-mail address is "removed by Per Schonbeck"

My Comment:

Hi Christine

It is possible that some process in ongoing in her liver. On the other hand some elderly dogs do have liver raised enzymes and is being regarded as normal.

One test I might consider to do would be the bile-acid test.

This test is used as a test to judge the livers functional ability. The liver might be affected by "some thing" but if it still can perform the bile acid absorption (test values is not raised),
this is positive. The liver is being regarded as still being able to cope with the normal physiological processes.

I can't find any sign of the Vetoryl should be able to increase the liver values in my papers, so this might not be that likely.

It may be beneficial to change her feeding to a liver diet and your vet can give advice on this matter.

Otherwise, a liver biopsy would be a possibility as well. At least in theory as this step is something to careful consider the value of before doing it is a elderly dog. I would properly not be that keen to perform such a procedure in her. Especially not as the liver values are raised, but at least not being increasing at present.

So, I would try to make the liver as comfortable as possible. Liver diet, a liver supplement (for example Denosyl) and a course of antibiotics as an infection from her teeth could be a possible cause of raised liver enzymes as well.

I hope this can give you some ideas to discuss together with you regular vet.

All the best

Per Schonbeck