Message Number: SG1302 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Sukie Crandall
Date: 2002-09-05 23:48:02 UTC
Subject: Re: Liver - Elevated ALT
To: tr1212@aol.com, ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-Id: <p05111700b99d9c235fb8@[192.168.1.102]>

You need to read this ENTIRE write up at

http://www.afip.org/ferrets/Clin_Path/ClinPath.html

but here is info for you in a quote from Dr. Bruce Williams at that
site which will help you:

>Should food not be available, it possesses the ability to quickly
>mobilize peripheral fat stores in order to meet energy requirements.
>When this physiologic mechanism is activated, the liver is literally
>flooded with fat, which results in hepatocellular swelling which may
>be marked. The result of this swelling is the leakage of membrane
>enzymes such as alanine aminotransferase, and as the hepatocellular
>swelling increases, occlusion of bile canaliculi occurs, resulting,
>over time, in elevation of alkaline phosphatase.
>
>In conjunction with this physiologic change, elevations of ALT up to
>800 mg/dl can be seen, and alkaline phosphatase up to approximately
>100 mg/dl.

You wrote:
>To anyone who can help~
>...looked a little small then noticed that his ALT was 324. I took
>him back a week later for more bloodwork. ALT still elevated. Back
>again for a sonogram. Everything looked fine. The Dr. said that the
>ALT isn't too elevated and wants me to just monitor him for any new
>developments. The info I found said that the acceptable ALT range is
>13-176. So.......what do I do next?