How To Treat Elevated Liver Enzymes In Dogs
The liver is a very important part of your dog’s body, as it carries out many tasks that are essential for survival. The liver processes proteins and fats, converts sugars into energy and stores vitamins A, D and K among other things. This organ is also responsible for producing bile which helps with digestion by breaking down fats in the food we eat. It’s clear then why it’s so important that we keep our livers healthy! But what happens when something goes wrong?
The liver is a very important part of your dog’s body, as it carries out many tasks that are essential for survival.
The liver is a very important part of your dog’s body, as it carries out many tasks that are essential for survival. The liver is the largest organ in the body and performs a wide variety of functions. It filters toxins from blood, produces bile that helps digest fat and vitamins, synthesizes proteins for blood clotting and cell repair, metabolizes fats into energy or stores them as fat deposits, detoxifies drugs in your dog’s system (including those used to treat illness) and even regenerates injured tissue.
The liver also plays an important role in digestion. It breaks down proteins into amino acids that can be absorbed by cells throughout the body; it breaks down carbohydrates such as sugars into glucose which fuels our bodies’ cells; it converts excess protein into triglycerides which can be stored as fat if necessary or converted back into glucose if needed at some point later on; finally it converts excess carbohydrates like sugars or starches into glycogen which acts like storage batteries for energy when we consume more calories than we need at any given time
Elevated liver enzymes in dogs are indicative of certain diseases of the liver.
If your dog’s liver enzymes are elevated, you should have your vet perform tests to determine what is causing the elevation. Liver disease is a common cause of elevated liver enzyme levels in dogs. Elevated liver enzymes can be indicative of other diseases as well, however, so it’s important not to jump to conclusions too quickly. Liver disease is also associated with other symptoms besides just high enzyme levels; some common signs include increased drinking or urinating, lethargy, vomiting and diarrhea (sometimes containing blood), weight loss and jaundice (yellowing of the skin).
When your dog’s liver isn’t working correctly, some of the enzymes leak into their blood stream rather than staying in their liver cells.
The liver performs many functions and is considered one of the most important organs in the body. The liver carries out a wide range of physiological functions including:
- detoxification
- blood clotting
- production of proteins, fats and glucose
- storage of vitamins A, D, K1/K2 and B12
In addition to these essential functions, the liver also produces many enzymes that help with these processes. Some examples include albuminase (which helps produce proteins), alkaline phosphatase (which helps regulate calcium levels), gamma-glutamyl transferase (which helps make glutathione) and aspartate amino transferase that plays a role in metabolism by converting amino acids into energy sources for cells throughout the body). When there are abnormalities with any of these enzymes it can lead to disease processes affecting other systems in your dog’s body such as neurological disorders or poor growth if they’re young enough when symptoms occur early enough
When these enzymes are detected in a blood sample, they are referred to as “elevated liver enzymes”.
When these enzymes are detected in a blood sample, they are referred to as “elevated liver enzymes”. Liver enzymes are created in the liver and released into the blood stream when the liver is not working correctly. They can be measured in a urine test, or in a bile sample.
There are several reasons why your dog’s liver might become inflamed or enlarge:
- exposure to toxins like heavy metals and household cleaners (lead)
- certain medications (most commonly acetaminophen)
- autoimmune disorders such as hemolytic anemia or immune-mediated thrombocytopenia
Elevated liver enzymes can be symptomatic of different types of diseases and conditions but they don’t tell us which one it is.
Elevated liver enzymes can be symptomatic of many different types of diseases and conditions, but they don’t tell us which one it is. They are a symptom that is shared by several other conditions that make up the differential diagnosis.
In order to determine whether or not your dog has one of these diseases, you will need to run other tests such as a complete blood count (CBC), urinalysis, fecal examination, urine culture, thyroid function tests and an abdominal ultrasound. A biopsy may also be necessary in some cases.
It is also a symptom that is shared by several other conditions that make up the differential diagnosis.
The enzyme assay is a very sensitive test, so it may have high values even when your dog is healthy. It’s possible that an elevated liver enzyme test could be caused by:
- Liver disease (hepatitis)
- Kidney disease (nephritis)
- Heart disease (cardiomyopathy)
- Bacterial infections (bacterial toxins from the organism itself or from other causes such as immune mediated diseases) Parasites (parvovirus, strongyloides), tumors and viral infections like rabies can also cause elevated liver enzymes in dogs. Allergic reactions can also cause a rise in blood levels of certain enzymes.
There is no treatment for elevated liver enzymes per se, because they’re not a disease themselves.
There is no treatment for elevated liver enzymes per se, because they’re not a disease themselves. Instead, you’ll need to treat the underlying condition that caused your dog’s liver enzymes to go up.
Once you’ve treated the underlying condition, your dog’s liver enzymes are likely to return to normal levels on their own. If they don’t return to normal within a couple weeks after starting treatment, talk with your vet about how often you should take your dog back in for tests (and what sort of results will indicate that it’s time for more testing).
The idea behind treating elevated liver enzymes is to isolate and then treat whatever condition it is that’s causing them to become elevated in the first place.
Your dog’s liver is one of the most important organs in his body. It performs a wide variety of functions that are essential to survival and good health, including regulating blood sugar levels and helping clear toxins from the body. When an animal has elevated liver enzymes, this means there is something wrong with his liver.
The first step to treating elevated liver enzymes in dogs is identifying what caused them to become elevated in the first place. Some causes are treatable while others present too great a risk of harm if left untreated, so it’s important that you consult with your veterinarian before administering any treatment on your own or making any changes that could exacerbate symptoms or cause further damage (such as discontinuing a medication prescribed by their doctor).
Always have your veterinarian run a wide battery of diagnostic tests to confirm where the problem lies.
It’s important that you always have your veterinarian run a wide battery of diagnostic tests to confirm where the problem lies. The vet will do this so he or she can treat the cause of elevated liver enzymes and not just symptoms, which is a common mistake made by inexperienced dog owners.
Many things can cause elevated liver enzymes in dogs, so get your pooch checked out by a vet!
The liver is an important organ that performs many functions in the body. When it becomes damaged or diseased, it can lead to elevated liver enzymes. There are several different reasons why a dog’s liver may become damaged, including:
- Liver disease
- Liver cancer
- Liver inflammation
These conditions can cause elevated ALT and AST levels because they damage bile ducts, causing bile to back up into the bloodstream and circulate throughout your pet’s body. Once bile enters the blood stream, it will also enter other organs like the kidneys and pancreas where there is no need for its presence. This results in high levels of bilirubin (a yellow pigment) which can be detected by your veterinarian through a urine or blood test.
There are many reasons why your dog might have elevated liver enzymes, but it’s important to remember that they’re not a disease themselves. They’re a symptom of something else going on in your pooch’s body that needs to be treated. If your dog has elevated liver enzymes, always have them run a wide battery of diagnostic tests and then ask your vet what they think it could be before starting any treatment plan.
