Elevated Liver Values in Dogs: What Would You Do if It Was Your Dog? Viva’s Elevated Liver Values

What do elevated liver values in dogs mean? The liver has so many jobs–elevated liver enzymes are a common finding. Diagnosing the problem can be a challenge.

Viva was adopted when she was 5 years old. She has battled with several health issues over time. In the care of her new family, she has improved remarkably.

Elevated Liver Values in Dogs: What Would You Do if It Was Your Dog? Viva's Elevated Liver Values

Just when her dad figured they had everything under control something new showed up.

Viva’s liver values were elevated.

More accurately, it was Viva’s alkaline phosphatase (ALP) that was above the normal range.

When ALP is elevated in mature dogs, most causes are associated with a primary or secondary liver problem that prevents the normal flow of bile.

Ron Hines DVM PhD

Some of the potential causes of ALP elevation include

  • hypothyroidism
  • elevated cortisol levels (Cushing’s disease, certain medications)
  • toxins
  • inflammatory conditions
  • pancreatitis
  • infections
  • and other causes

Source: 2nd Chance Info

Viva’s ALP elevation was nothing crazy, nothing that would immediately warrant concern. Many things can change liver values, some of them temporarily. Together with their veterinarian, Viva’s dad decided to monitor where they go and whether they might settle to normal over time.

Other symptoms

Then Viva also became lethargic and lost interest in play. Another blood test showed that Viva’s liver values not only did not improve but exploded to a really high level.

Now it was clear it was important to get to the bottom of it.

The reasons for that could have been many. A routine blood work measures more than one type of liver enzymes and which levels are elevated can help to nail down the cause. However, toxins, infections, certain medications, actual liver disease, gallbladder problems, metabolic and hormonal disorders, even cancer. And that’s just a rough list.

The main liver enzyme that was out of control on Viva’s blood work was the alkaline phosphatase (ALP).

What do you make of these things? What would you do it it was your dog?

Read Viva’s story here.

Related articles:
What’s in the Blood

Further reading:
Canine liver enzymes—so many questions!

Categories: Conditions • Real-life Stories • Symptoms

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Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer, dog health advocate, writer, and author. Jasmine, the Rottweiler of my life, was the largest female from her litter. We thought we were getting a healthy dog. Getting a puppy from a backyard breeder was our first mistake. Countless veterinary visits without a diagnosis or useful treatment later, I realized that I had to take Jasmine's health care in my own hands. I learned the hard way that merely seeing a vet is not always enough. There is more to finding a good vet than finding the closest clinic down the street. And, sadly, there is more to advocating for your dog's health than visiting a veterinarian. It should be enough, but it often is not. With Jasmine, it took five years to get a diagnosis. Unfortunately, other problems had snowballed for that in the meantime. Jasmine's health challenges became a crash course in understanding dog health issues and how to go about getting a proper diagnosis and treatment. I had to learn, and I had to learn fast. Helping others through my challenges and experience has become my mission and Jasmine's legacy. I now try to help people how to recognize and understand signs of illness in their dogs, how to work with their veterinarian, and when to seek a second opinion. My goal is to save others the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way as I did. That is the mission behind my blog and behind my writing. That is why I wrote Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog, which has turned out being an award-winning guide to dog owners. What I'm trying to share encompasses 20 years of experience.

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