Message Number: SG10933 | New FHL Archives Search
From: sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2004-10-05 22:12:38 UTC
Subject: RE: Very High ALT level
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <1294297.1097014359273.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>

Yes, that ALT level is beyond what is seen with diet problems alone.

Not eating enough or often enough does raise ALT levels.

I have long standing permission to quote this. It is a section from =

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

Here is the segment:

>As with the CBC, there are several unique features =

>of the chemical profile of the ferret; indeed, it is with =

>the clinical chemistry that the majority of misdiagnoses =

>are made by the "un-ferret-knowledgeable" practitioner. =

=A0 =

>Probably the most common misinterpretation that I see =

>on a routine basis is in the area of hepatic enzymes. =

>Remember, that the ferret, being by nature an obligate =

>carnivore, has an extremely short digestive tract, and =

>requires meals as often as every four to six hours. =

>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. This often causes confusion =

>to practitioners, who render an erroneous diagnosis of =

>unspecified hepatic disease. However, hepatic disease is =

>quite uncommon in this species; the most common cause =

>of true hepatic disease in the ferret is neoplasia, with =

>lymphosarcoma causing 95% of cases. Rarely bacterial =

>infections of the liver or biliary tree may be seen.

> The diagnosis of hepatic disease in the ferret must be =

>based not only on ALT and alkaline phosphatase, but other =

>clinical indicators in the CBC and chem panel. Clinical =

>elevation of icterus or an elevated bilirubin is an excellent =

>indicatior of primary hepatic disease, or concomitant =

>leukocytosis or pyrexia may lend additional credence to a =

>diagnosis of primary hepatic disease.
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