Symptoms of Liver Inflammation in Dogs
The most common (though not exhaustive) symptoms include:
Dogs rely a great deal on their livers. It is the second largest organ in their bodies after their skin (1.3-5.0% of body weight) and its malfunction results in many canine deaths. There are two types of liver inflammation in dogs.
- Symptoms manifest within days, and your pets health quickly declines. This is the less common type, but is all the more distressing for its quick appearance. This is likely to be caused by toxins – possibly drugs, chemicals or a reaction to medicine, trauma, poor circulation and metabolic disorders. It must be treated immediately or will likely result in death as all these factors will contribute to necrosis (tissue death) of the liver.
- This condition occurs over long periods and, while no less serious, will manifest itself more slowly, so it is less easily detected. This condition is caused by the slow death of liver cells due an underlying disease.
Does Elevated Liver Enzymes Mean a Serious Problem With My Dog’s Liver?
Elevated liver enzymes in dogs can be a concern for some owners as they can indicate disease, however, liver enzymes can become elevated from a range of different causes and they don’t always mean there is a serious problem.
When liver function is checked this is usually done by measuring certain liver enzymes. When your veterinarian “runs blood” they will oftentimes be checking the function of many of your dog’s vital organs.
The liver is a large organ found in the upper abdomen near the ribs of dogs, the liver is a very important organ and performs many important functions in the body every day. All blood that leaves the intestines passes through the liver to be filtered.
The liver produces important products such as glucose, albumin (a type of protein), and cholesterol. Waste products are expelled from the liver into the gallbladder where they are stored before being released, along with digestive enzymes through the bile ducts into the intestines as bile.
A problem with the liver can be life-threatening and require intensive treatment but at the same time, the liver has an extremely good ability to regenerate so it can recover quickly from an onslaught once it is removed.
In this article, we are going to cover the causes of liver enzymes, what enzymes we test and what your veterinarian does with the information they collect. Once you have a better understanding of liver enzymes we will also cover the symptoms of liver disease and what treatments there are available to help keep you better informed.
The Four Liver Enzymes in Dogs
There are four liver enzymes that are tested in dogs, these enzymes differ in where they come from and can give us valuable information about certain diseases occurring in the liver, however they can also be elevated from other causes and elevations sometimes don’t give the whole answer.
These four enzymes are broadly divided into two groups, those that become elevated when there is damage to the liver cells (hepatocellular enzymes) and those that become elevated when there is a problem with the bile duct (cholestatic enzymes)
AST or aspartate aminotransferase can be elevated when there is damage to the liver cells (hepatocytes) but also when there is damage to other cells in the body such as muscle cells. This enzyme is less commonly tested because it can be elevated due to non-liver causes and typically parallels ALT which is more specific meaning veterinarians usually rely on the information ALT provides instead.
Non-liver elevations of AST can be pancreatitis and muscle disease.
ALT or alanine aminotransferase is a useful enzyme because it is found primarily in hepatocytes meaning an elevation of ALT on blood can more clearly indicate liver disease. ALT is also produced by the kidneys and intestines. When there is damage to the hepatocytes, ALT is released into the blood and can be measured on blood tests (biochemistry).
Elevation in ALT shows there has been damage to the hepatocytes but that doesn’t mean there is definitely liver disease as diseases outside the liver can cause elevated ALT also (pre-liver). Examples include heart disease, intestinal inflammation, and severe dental disease. In general, these pre-liver problems will only cause minor elevations in ALT whereas true liver disease will cause a larger elevation.
Because ALT is more specific to liver disease at high levels a large elevation of ALT is a sign to investigate possible liver disease further. Severe increases of ALT don’t automatically mean irreversible damage, it is possible for liver function to return to normal with appropriate treatment, thanks to the regenerative capacity of the liver.
Examples of diseases that cause hepatocellular disease include certain toxins, chronic inflammation (hepatitis), and genetic disorders
Cholestatic enzymes are those found in the bile duct that extends from the liver.
ALP or alkaline phosphate is contained in cells that line the bile ducts, blockage of the bile ducts (cholestasis) causes increased production of ALP leading to an elevation seen in blood work. Elevated levels of ALP don’t always indicate a problem with bile flow as there are many forms of ALP produced in the body including from bones (B-ALP), as well as steroid-induced ALP (C-ALP). Some breeds can naturally have elevated ALP, such as Miniature Schnauzers, Huskies, and Scottish Terriers.
Other non-liver-related diseases can also cause elevations in ALP such as pancreatitis, gallbladder disease (where bile is produced), and certain endocrine (hormonal) diseases.
ALP is the least liver-specific enzyme but also the most commonly elevated liver enzyme meaning it can cause concern of liver disease without being true. An elevation in only ALP may not signify a liver problem and may not require further investigation.
GGT or γ-glutamyl transpeptidase is another enzyme contained in the cells that line the bile ducts and can also become elevated when there is cholestasis. GGT levels typically parallel ALP levels and having elevations in both suggests cholestatic. GGT is a very sensitive indicator of liver or bile disease and can be useful to confirm that a problem is not liver-related, if GGT is not elevated then liver disease may not be the problem.
Examples of diseases that cause cholestatic disease include nodular hyperplasia, toxins, neoplasia, and gallbladder problems (e.g. gallbladder mucocele).
11 Symptoms of Liver Problems in Dogs [7 Ways to Heal & 1 KEY Remedy]
So, your vet has told you that your dog has raised liver enzymes. Understandably, you’ll probably have a few questions.; is it serious? What might have caused it? And, what exactly does it mean? As is often the case, there isn’t a single answer to any of these questions. So in this article, we look at some of the most common causes, the underlying conditions and the role of the liver in your dog.