ALT through the roof - no other symptoms

Took kitty to get spayed today. We had been treating here for almost three months for mites and worms having given her last treatment one week ago. The vet ran blood work prior to the spaying and told us that her ALT was about 374 and she didn't want to risk the surgery.

This little girl was a skin and bones stray who was very weak when we saved her on January 30th and has been acting healthier week by week since. She's playing, eating well, drinking fluids, and seems fine (when she's not in heat). She has no signs of jaundice and, if it weren't for the blood test, we wouldn't even suspect liver disease.

This has been a crazy three months. They originally told us she was 12 - 18 months. Another vet looked at her teeth today and said she was probably at least 5 years old, another thought 7-8 years old. She's 5 1/2 lbs. Many of her front teeth are gone and she appears to have had a very tough life - if she was even born healthy one.

She was a barn kitty (judging by her smell) but is one of the most loving cats I have ever met.

Who'd have thought I'd end up getting this twisted up? I'm so worried about her....

Any advice would be appreciated. We have been feeding her very high quality canned and dry foods. SHe's now on a vitamin supplement and hepatic support supplement. We're supposed to retest and hopefully spay in four weeks - else, we're on to more blood work, and further testing potentially....

Thanks....

I can't offer any advice but I am sending many thoughts and prayers to the both of you. Please keep us posted.

I am sending good vibes and prayers of good health...

First, congratulations on your new addition! What a very lucky little girl she is- a skin & bones kitty and a Wisconsin winter is a recipe for disaster. Thank you for saving her life.

I never suspected liver disease in my girl either - elevated ALT was discovered during routine bloodwork. The specific type of liver disease can be a little tricky to diagnose without doing an ultrasound guided biopsy.

Elevation of the ALT doesn't necessarily mean your kitty has ongoing liver disease. Since the liver is the body's main filter, everything she eats and breathes is processed through it. It's possible that this is a temporary condition caused by a toxic reaction to some substance or the result of a reaction to certain meds.

It's great that you're feeding a high quality diet - I would advise making the majority of it canned and use the dry for treats. Which hepatic supplement is she on? My cat takes Denosyl and also silymarin. Silymarin is very beneficial for the liver - if your kitty isn't on it already I'd recommend it. The most effective form to use is combined with phosphatidycholine for maximum absorbtion. The makers of Denosyl recently came out with a liver support product, Marin, which has this combination along with some other ingredients. My only hesitation with the product is that it contains a very small amount of silymarin. Since Marin hasn't been available that long, I don't know if there has been much feedback about its effectiveness.

You'll definitely want to do repeat bloodwork to see if the ALT has improved. I understand your vet's reluctance to put your kitty under anesthesia until the enzyme is back to normal.

Sending good thoughts to you and your little girl that she will keep improving.