Post-Mortem

JMJimmy

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Some time ago we lost Sissy to acute liver failure and I finally followed up with my vet to get the results of the testing that was done days before his passing.  We never understood the cause and it's always bothered me.  The ultrasound was clean which means our thought that it might have been the cat litter he'd roll in was causing it but there was no sign of blockage in the liver.  The blood test results are shocking and confusing to me.  I was hoping someone might have knowledge in this area to help at least give any idea of how the liver could fail in such a way.


What could cause ALT to skyrocket like that?  He was being treated for a urinary blockage at the time (pH 8.0)
 

Anne

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I'm so sorry for your loss. 


What did the vet say about these results? We actually have an article about elevated liver enzymes in cats  but as far as I can tell, high levels of ALT/AST aren't very specific. As far as I can tell (and I'm not a vet), there's a lot going on in this blood panel other than high levels of liver enzymes. That high count of white blood cells means some kind of inflammation and possibly an infection. There are many kind of infections that hurt the liver. 

I think the vet who ran the tests and checked Sissy might be able to shed more light, taking into account the entire clinical picture. If you do call him/her and ask, could you share the answer here? I'm curious too.
 
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JMJimmy

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Our vet was at a loss as well.  He was asking whether or not our cat could have been poisoned because the results weren't making sense to him either.  X-Ray/Ultrasound were clear, no CK elevation, no anemia, no outward signs of infection (no goopy eyes, no lacerations).  In hindsight it was likely a chronic condition that we didn't recognize, we just saw him slowing down bit by bit, getting fatter/lazier, and thought he was becoming a house kitty.  He'd layout in the sun and perk up, roll around in the dirt/clean litter box, and he was the most playful of our older kitties. 
 
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