Why did my old dog have vomiting, seizures, and high liver enzymes?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Cairn Terrier | Male | neutered | 20 lbs
My dog suffered vomiting and diarrhoea for 2 weeks, loud stomach noises but was still eating. Started drinking more but then his stomach noises became very loud. Bloods showed ALT levels 7 times higher than normal levels. And high urea levels. Then he suffered 2 seizures within 10 hours. The vet said he should be put to sleep. So I did. He was a 15 year old cairn terrier. .Please help me understand what he may have been suffering from.
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on October 17th, 2018
I am so very sorry you lost Charlie. Unfortunately without having the complete medical history of Charlie I can only make an educated guess. Liver disease is the most common reason for higher than normal levels of ALT. In an old dog like Charlie this could be a sign of a liver tumor or chronic liver disease or a sign of Cushing's disease which often is caused by a brain tumor. The seizures could have been caused by a brain tumor or liver failure. Urea is made when protein is broken down in the body. ... If the kidneys are not able to remove urea from the blood normally, the BUN level rises. Heart failure, dehydration, or a diet high in protein can also make the BUN level higher. So it appeas that Charlie was very ill with liver, kidney and possibly heart failure. By deciding to have him euthanized, you gave him the gift of not having to suffer. It is the the last and best gift you could have given him and you should not feel guilty. He is a happy chappy now and you did the right thing. Again I am sorry you lost Charlie, but I hope I could ease your mind a bit.
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Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on March 19th, 2021
I'm sorry to hear that Charlie's surgery was postponed, but looking at these results, I agree that it's best to first investigate further. I see that both Charlie's ALT and GGT are elevated. Both of these enzymes increase with insult to the liver from a variety of different causes, such as chronic hepatitis or hepatitis, among others. When both BUN and creatinine increase, kidney disease is the cause. In Charlie's case, his creatinine is normal, so kidney disease is less likely the cause of the BUN increase, but it could indicate very early kidney disease. It is possible that his BUN increase could be associated with his diet, particularly a raw diet, but diet won't impact liver enzymes to that degree. Additional testing is certainly needed. At this point, I assume that your vet has likely recommended rechecking these values in a week or so, and may have also recommended a urinalysis and abdominal ultrasound to try to get to the bottom of this issue. There's no need to panic - additional information is just needed. I've attached links to a few articles about interpreting blood test results that may be helpful to you. I hope that everything goes well for Charlie! https://www.petcoach.co/article/chemistry-panels-tests-for-pets/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/blood-cells-complete-blood-counts-cbc-in-animals/
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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