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12 Year Old Cat Has Elevated ALT. We're worried.

post #1 of 4
5/26/11 at 5:26pm
Thread Starter 
We brought our 12 year old cat in for a teeth cleaning because we saw her gums seemed a little swollen. The blood test came back with an elevated ALT of 901 and a low Auto Platelet of 69. Everything else is in normal rage. She is free of any symptoms.

The Vet prescribed Denamarin 90mg tablets once a day for three weeks. Then she wants to do another blood test. The vet was also talking about Ultrasound and liver biopsy. She also didn't want to do the teeth cleaning/anesthetic.

We're of course very worried now with her talking of liver cancer and hepatitis. I was hoping someone could shed some light on what the best thing to do in this case with the liver concens and the teeth. Our Vet seems OK but it's a commercialized office if you know what I mean.

Here's a link to a photo of the test results and a picture of her teeth.

http://efficientlifechurch.com/cat.htm


For some reason an advertisement box pops up when I click the attach image icon. Also when I try to insert a link.


Thank you,

Stephen
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post #2 of 4
5/26/11 at 5:52pm
Ouch, that looks painful. I've heard of a method for cleaning teeth without anesthesia, but I don't know what it entails. Did your vet say why she didn't want to do the teeth cleaning? Maybe you could get another vet to do it.
I'm sorry, I can't give any advice on cancer or hepatitis.
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post #3 of 4
5/26/11 at 6:06pm
High liver enzymes don't necessarily mean liver cancer or hepatitis. Your kitty could have a fatty liver.

In order to diagnose liver disease, you really need more than an ALT. You need an ALP, Bilirubin, AST, Total Protein and Albumin. Your kitty's albumin and total protein are both normal from what I see. I don't see results for the other tests.

Poisons / toxins such as ant bait and some plants can also cause elevated liver enzymes. This would normally resolve unless the cat is repeatedly getting into the substance. Check your home for chemicals and toxic/poisonous plants.

Also, the PLT levels are quite low, and at this level could cause excessive bleeding during invasive procedures such as a dental. So it's not only the ALT, but also the PLT levels that have put a hold on your kitty's dental procedure.

Prednisone has been known to bring up PLT levels, but it can also lower ALT levels too. Did your vet discuss this treatment with you?
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post #4 of 4
5/26/11 at 6:33pm
My cat, Muffin has had a high ALT count ever since the first time his bloodwork was done in 2006. The vet would not have hesitated to put him to sleep for any reason because of the high Alt because all other numbers were okay. Therefore I think it must be because of the platelet count that your vet won't do it. Muffin took Denamarin for several months. His alt number was coming down, but the Denamarin caused vomiting. I finally just quit giving it to him and his alt is elevated again. Since we discovered the high alt in 2006 he has never displayed any symptoms from it. The vet mentioned a liver biopsy, but we have never done it since he has never shown any symtoms of being sick. Does your cat act sick in any way and does the cat have a normal appetite. As for the teeth cleaning, I don't know how to advise you about that. I hope you get some answers.
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