Ron Hines DVM PhD

See What Normal Blood & Urine Values Are

The Causes Of Most Abnormal Blood  & Urine Tests

See How Tests Are Grouped

What To Do When My Dog Or Cat’s Liver Tests Are High?  

Health Problems That Can Cause AST Levels To Be Elevated In Your Pet’s Blood:

All infectious, toxic, metabolic and cancerous diseases that sometimes affect your dog or cat’s liver can cause your pet’s AST blood levels to rise.

When ALT levels in the same blood sample are normal, red blood cell destruction are common causes for the high AST readings. Muscle damage due to severe exertion or trauma and congestive heart failure can also be responsible for elevated AST reading in dogs and cats.

AST levels go up occasionally as the result of local reaction to vaccinations and intramuscular injections of all kinds.

In dogs, AST levels are often increased during heartworm treatment with Immiticide® or  Diroban®  (melarsomine dihydrochloride).

A hemolyzed blood sample can also cause a falsely high AST reading.

Health Problems That Can Cause AST Levels To Be Low:

Flagyl® (metronidazole) has been known to cause low AST readings. So has a vitamin B6  deficiency.

Complementary tests:

ALT,  bilirubin,  bile acids,  hematocrit/Hct,  GDH ,  CK .  In cats check for a total protein/TP and  globulin elevation as possible evidence of early FIP .  Abdominal ultrasound.   Always wise to retest asymptomatic dogs in 2 days and cats in 1 day to confirm that a problem actually exists.  

DxMe

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