Elevated Liver Enzymes

[DotyOlson]

I have a 10 month old 3lb Mi-Ki who recently was neutered.  The pre-surgery blood work showed ALT Liver enzymes level at 785.  Today, ten days later, the stitches were removed and we repeated the test and his ALT number is over 1200.  All of his other levels are normal, he shows no signs of jaundice and he is playful.  He eats & eliminates well.  Tomorrow he will have a "bile" test done and be referred to Texas A&M Vet school for ultrasound & possible biopsy.  Any thoughts or questions I should ask?  Because of his size is this likely to be something fatal?

[rlemke4272]

We have a two and a half year old female Mi-ki (Bridgette) who has almost the identical issues with her liver enzymes.  Back in January, she apparently got into something, stopped eating and drinking, and had to be hospitalized.  She recovered, but they found the elevated enzyme levels at that time.  Don't know if the levels were high previous to that incident or not.  Now, over six months later, she's been on denamarin, clavamox, ursodiol and a short stint with some steroids.  Nothing seems to have a lasting impact.  Bridgette shows no outward effects...she's very active, playful, eats and drinks well (and is just about the cutest thing you've ever seen).  Our vet is starting to wonder if this is a breed thing.  Have you had any success with finding the problem?  Hope your puppy is doing well

[DotyOlson]

A Mi-Ki is a Maltese/Papillon/Japanese Chin mix.  I too think it comes a breeding problem.  His fontanelle has never quite closed and there is a very small amount of extra fluid on his brain.  Vets say it should never cause him a problem, but it's there.  He also is blind in one eye due to a birth defect, so I was expecting a deformed liver or a shunt.  Neither of those showed up on the ultrasound.  I'm awaiting a call from the vet's office now ... He should be out of surgery & trying to wake up.  We won't have pathology results for several days so I'll be nervously waiting for those!!  

Knowing that his breeding was not as good as it should have been, I'm still glad I bought him because others might not have spent the money or time to try to help him.  He is just precious to me!

[DotyOlson]

Tuesday's Bile Acids test results came back and there is SOME elevation after he eats, but not significantly.  Today, at Texas A&M Small Animal Hospital, he had the ultrasound done.  Also another check of his ALT Liver enzymes ... which are now over 1800.  His liver was "unremarkable" and gave no clues as to what is causing the skyrocketing ALT.  One question the Drs had for me was if we have any Sago Palms in our yard.  Yes we do, several!  The possibility that he ate or chewed on some piece of one of them might shed light on a toxin causing the problem; however, the fact that he isn't vomiting or having diarrhea seems to be a contraindication that a toxin is at play.  He continues to act totally normal & playful.  Tomorrow he is scheduled for an open liver biopsy.  It's the last chance at a diagnosis.  Hopefully we will get results that we can treat.  In the meantime we just pray.  There is just nothing else to do.  

I wish I could post a picture of him.  He is such an adorable little guy that everyone who has seen him asks what breed he is & where I got him because they want one just like him.  One Dr at the clinic today said, "I've worked in this field for 30 years and he is definitely the cutest thing I've ever seen!"  She wasn't even working on his case, she just happened to see him and came to ask about him.

He just HAS to be OK ...

[Misfits4Me]

I'm sorry that your question went unanswered...First, I don't know what a "Mi-Ki" is! But IMO, any issue is harder on such a small dog.....

Because I don't know what he is & the first thing I think about is bad breeding, I would suspect a Liver Shunt with such high levels of enzymes in such a young puppy  (I guess it's a puppy?).....

Please, let us know what you find out.....Jerry's correct, it may will help others in the future.......Thanks & good luck, Karla

[Jerry_NJ]

Sorry your puppy has such problems... have you learned anything new/else?  Seems no one here has any answers for your questions, perhaps your experience will help others in the future.