what does this mean!? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

bellbuzz07 · 12-18-2007, 05:13 PM

okay.. 2 months ago my girl was diagnosed with a liver problem after completely scaring me half to death.. i just got her results from the blood work.. im gonna have another one done in about a week, but can anyone tellme how bad or what might be the problem with her? AST 539 ALT 537.. thanks!

Ellie May · 12-18-2007, 09:23 PM

I'm sorry you're going through this. Those numbers are not good at all. The approximate reference range for AST is 15-66 and ALT is 12-118. I think I read somewhere that a very high ALT (like your dog's) means the liver is atleast 70% damaged.

There is hope as long as your dog is on the right protocol. Do you have to wait a week to begin testing?

bellbuzz07 · 12-19-2007, 07:01 AM

well.. i have to wait a few days till i get paid.. but what next testing do you recommend.. some one on the yahoo group site that i have been talking to said the next thing is definetly a bile acid test..

Ellie May · 12-19-2007, 10:06 AM

The bile acid test will be next. That is pretty simple. It cost me $77 for the test and $28 to board Ellie at the hospital for the two hours in between and $1.31 for the food. Maybe you can take her home in between to avoid the hospital fee. That is what I am doing next time.

If the bile acid numbers are low I have no idea what will be next. If they are high you would go to either ultrasound, scintography or portogram. A liver biopsy may have to be done if MVD is suspected. They might also do a Protein C test (blood test) and maybe avoid some of the more invasive stuff if MVD is suspected. Liver shunts in Yorkies are usually extrahepatic (outside the liver) and surgery needs to be attempted. University of Tennessee has a great success rate. If your baby is diagnosed with MVD (small shunting throughout the liver) there is no cure. It is managed through diet and supplements.

By the way, Ellie had a liver biopsy and it was $255. This was really cheap and didn't include the price of anesthesia or preop bloodwork because she was already under for her spay.

bellbuzz07 · 12-19-2007, 11:13 AM

wow.. thats really cheap... okay, so bile test it is.. yeah after the results of that im pretty sure im gonna do another blood test because i want to spay her hopefully next month.. she needs to get it done, and she needs her canines pulled!.. thanks so much for your insight, i just wish i could find a really good vet that knows just what to do. what happened to your dog? what was the outcome?

Ellie May · 12-19-2007, 11:21 AM

Her liver biopsy showed no MVD and her bile acid numbers are too low for a shunt. She doesn't have many symptoms, so nobody is really concerned. I did the bile acid test just as a precaution and the numbers were up a little bit. They went back down and we will retest in the next month and if they stayed down then everything is fine.

I don't know of any good vets for this in California.

bellbuzz07 · 12-19-2007, 11:26 AM

glad to hear you dog is doing good.. i hope the same for mine!.. i just got off the phone with the vet, she said she suggests doing another blood test first before the bile test, because the one i have is from a while ago. (2 months ago).. i made an appointment for friday. she also wants to do a urinalalysis and fecal test, what do you think?

Ellie May · 12-19-2007, 11:35 AM

The tests she mentioned are fine and a good idea. Redueing the blood work is a good idea too. I, however, would do the bile acid at the same time and would not wait. I wouldn't care if the AST and ALT were back to normal this time (although that would be great) because those numbers from before are just too high. I would insist on a bile acid test also.

What were your dogs symptoms when the ALT was so high? Seizures?

linda44 · 12-19-2007, 11:45 AM

how did you find out she had liver disease? What were the symptoms?

bellbuzz07 · 12-19-2007, 12:48 PM

about two months ago she had thrown up.. the next morning when i woke up she was completely life less.. lock jaw, the whole thing.. no life at all.. rushed her to the hospital got her on fluids. she was too weak to take blood. the next morning she seizured for almost an hour, later that day she regained some strength and we did a blood test- showing the significant damage to the liver.. after that she has only been on a change of diet, L/D.. she has no signs of a problem now, she is actually a more active happier dog than before the incident. prior to the incident, when i had got her, she was always in different moods, one day very active one day not.. now she is always full of energy.

-okay so blood test- bile test- sounds good to me.. thanks sooo much for the help!!

12-18-2007, 05:13 PM	#1
bellbuzz07 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: la mirada, ca Posts: 142	what does this mean!? okay.. 2 months ago my girl was diagnosed with a liver problem after completely scaring me half to death.. i just got her results from the blood work.. im gonna have another one done in about a week, but can anyone tellme how bad or what might be the problem with her? AST 539 ALT 537.. thanks!

12-18-2007, 09:23 PM	#2
Ellie May And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI Posts: 17,928	I'm sorry you're going through this. Those numbers are not good at all. The approximate reference range for AST is 15-66 and ALT is 12-118. I think I read somewhere that a very high ALT (like your dog's) means the liver is atleast 70% damaged. There is hope as long as your dog is on the right protocol. Do you have to wait a week to begin testing? __________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶

12-19-2007, 10:06 AM	#4
Ellie May And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI Posts: 17,928	The bile acid test will be next. That is pretty simple. It cost me $77 for the test and $28 to board Ellie at the hospital for the two hours in between and $1.31 for the food. Maybe you can take her home in between to avoid the hospital fee. That is what I am doing next time. If the bile acid numbers are low I have no idea what will be next. If they are high you would go to either ultrasound, scintography or portogram. A liver biopsy may have to be done if MVD is suspected. They might also do a Protein C test (blood test) and maybe avoid some of the more invasive stuff if MVD is suspected. Liver shunts in Yorkies are usually extrahepatic (outside the liver) and surgery needs to be attempted. University of Tennessee has a great success rate. If your baby is diagnosed with MVD (small shunting throughout the liver) there is no cure. It is managed through diet and supplements. By the way, Ellie had a liver biopsy and it was $255. This was really cheap and didn't include the price of anesthesia or preop bloodwork because she was already under for her spay. __________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶

12-19-2007, 11:21 AM	#6
Ellie May And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI Posts: 17,928	Her liver biopsy showed no MVD and her bile acid numbers are too low for a shunt. She doesn't have many symptoms, so nobody is really concerned. I did the bile acid test just as a precaution and the numbers were up a little bit. They went back down and we will retest in the next month and if they stayed down then everything is fine. I don't know of any good vets for this in California. __________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶

12-19-2007, 11:35 AM	#8
Ellie May And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI Posts: 17,928	The tests she mentioned are fine and a good idea. Redueing the blood work is a good idea too. I, however, would do the bile acid at the same time and would not wait. I wouldn't care if the AST and ALT were back to normal this time (although that would be great) because those numbers from before are just too high. I would insist on a bile acid test also. What were your dogs symptoms when the ALT was so high? Seizures? __________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶

12-19-2007, 07:01 AM	#3
bellbuzz07 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: la mirada, ca Posts: 142	well.. i have to wait a few days till i get paid.. but what next testing do you recommend.. some one on the yahoo group site that i have been talking to said the next thing is definetly a bile acid test..

12-19-2007, 11:13 AM	#5
bellbuzz07 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: la mirada, ca Posts: 142	wow.. thats really cheap... okay, so bile test it is.. yeah after the results of that im pretty sure im gonna do another blood test because i want to spay her hopefully next month.. she needs to get it done, and she needs her canines pulled!.. thanks so much for your insight, i just wish i could find a really good vet that knows just what to do. what happened to your dog? what was the outcome?

12-19-2007, 11:26 AM	#7
bellbuzz07 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: la mirada, ca Posts: 142	glad to hear you dog is doing good.. i hope the same for mine!.. i just got off the phone with the vet, she said she suggests doing another blood test first before the bile test, because the one i have is from a while ago. (2 months ago).. i made an appointment for friday. she also wants to do a urinalalysis and fecal test, what do you think?

12-19-2007, 11:45 AM	#9
linda44 Luv my 7 Furkids Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: napa Posts: 9,655 Blog Entries: 4	how did you find out she had liver disease? What were the symptoms?

12-19-2007, 12:48 PM	#10
bellbuzz07 Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: la mirada, ca Posts: 142	about two months ago she had thrown up.. the next morning when i woke up she was completely life less.. lock jaw, the whole thing.. no life at all.. rushed her to the hospital got her on fluids. she was too weak to take blood. the next morning she seizured for almost an hour, later that day she regained some strength and we did a blood test- showing the significant damage to the liver.. after that she has only been on a change of diet, L/D.. she has no signs of a problem now, she is actually a more active happier dog than before the incident. prior to the incident, when i had got her, she was always in different moods, one day very active one day not.. now she is always full of energy. -okay so blood test- bile test- sounds good to me.. thanks sooo much for the help!!