Liver enzymes are typically monitored to assess for liver damage after the dog is sent home. Depending on the dogs condition, medication and monitoring may be needed for several days to weeks. Liver damage can affect long-term liver function in dogs who have recovered from acetaminophen poisoning.
Toxin-induced liver enzyme elevations generally peak and return to normal faster than those caused by infectious hepatitis. If your dogs bloodwork shows suddenly elevated liver enzymes, thinking through what they may have eaten, chewed, swum in, or gotten into over the previous 24 to 72 hours can provide critical clues for your veterinarian.
The main mechanisms that cause increased serum liver enzymes are cell damage and the induction of enzyme synthesis. The enzymes are mainly found in the hepatocyte mitochondria, cytoplasm, or cell membrane. Where enzymes are elevated due to cell damage, the leaking of enzymes depends on their concentration and location within the cell.
Does the alphabet soup of liver enzyme activities got you stumped? Dr. Jonathan Lidbury answers common questions on interpreting canine liver laboratory results and gives guidance on how to proceed with confirming a diagnosis, including when to perform a liver biopsy.
Aminotransferase, a liver enzyme that when found at elevated levels can indicate possible liver damage, was measured daily for eight days and at regular intervals after that.Watkins attributed the sharply elevated enzymes to the Tylenol and not to the opioid medications.
