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My dog's ALT is high. Is that normal and what should I do about it?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 7 years and 5 months old | 24 lbs

What steps do I need to take if my dog's ALT level is high ? His ALT was 150. I am not sure what is the normal range.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 30th, 2017

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. ALT is an enzyme that is released when liver cells are damaged. The normal values are usually less than 100. Unfortunately, the presence of the enzyme does not indicate the cause or reversibility of the damage, nor does it tell us if this is recent, but temporary damage, or on-going problems with the liver. Toxins, including plants, medications, such as steroids, viruses, & endocrine diseases can all cause increases in ALT. If Kobee is not having any problems, then I would recommend retesting in 6 weeks. If Kobee is sick, there are many more diagnostic tests that can be conducted to try & get to the cause of the problem. Often, we actually never find this out, & dogs do very, very well with moderately elevated values. We actually do not even get concerned until the values are at least 3xs normal, or there are other parameters that are abnormal. If Kobee is well, then all I might recommend is discussing with your vet about putting him on a neutroceutical called Denamarin. It can help with oxidative changes in the liver. I hope he does well. Take care.

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    Answered By Jennifer Ladd, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    That is a fairly mild elevation. High end of normal is around 105. I would recommend, however, starting a supplement such as Denamarin, or Liver Support from Thorne. After starting a supplement such as either of these, I would recheck his enzymes in 3 months. I would also stop any medications that are known to be metabolized by the liver such as Carprofen (Rimadyl), Phenobarbital etc. If your pup is on medications, and you are unsure if they are metabolized by the liver, we can set up a consult to go over them. You can also call your regular veterinarian for help.

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