Just got back from the vet today, with blood test results. My 8 year
old weimaraner has mostly normal levels, with the following
exceptions:

alkaline phosphatase 511 (norm 10-150)
alt (sgpt) 75 (norm 5-50)
lipase 821 (norm 100-750)
calcium 12.5 (norm 8.2-12.4)

I've poked around on the internet and have seen elevated ALP levels
associated with cancers. Does anyone have any information or sources
for what else might cause elevated alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels?

I found the following on the WebMD site and wondered if it may be of help,
even though it is primarily for humans.



Alkaline Phosphatase



Test Overview



An alkaline phosphatase (ALP) test measures the amount of the enzyme ALP in
the blood. ALP is produced primarily in the liver and in bone. It also is
produced by the placenta of a pregnant woman and, to a lesser extent, by the
intestines and kidneys.

Normally, the liver produces more ALP than the other organs or the bones.
Some conditions can release large amounts of ALP into the bloodstream. These
conditions include rapid bone growth (during puberty), bone disease
(osteomalacia or Paget's disease), or damaged liver cells.





wrote in message
...
Just got back from the vet today, with blood test results. My 8 year
old weimaraner has mostly normal levels, with the following
exceptions:

alkaline phosphatase 511 (norm 10-150)
alt (sgpt) 75 (norm 5-50)
lipase 821 (norm 100-750)
calcium 12.5 (norm 8.2-12.4)

I've poked around on the internet and have seen elevated ALP levels
associated with cancers. Does anyone have any information or sources
for what else might cause elevated alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels?

wrote in message
...
Just got back from the vet today, with blood test results. My 8 year
old weimaraner has mostly normal levels, with the following
exceptions:

alkaline phosphatase 511 (norm 10-150)
alt (sgpt) 75 (norm 5-50)
lipase 821 (norm 100-750)
calcium 12.5 (norm 8.2-12.4)

I've poked around on the internet and have seen elevated ALP levels
associated with cancers. Does anyone have any information or sources
for what else might cause elevated alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels?

.......a rise in alk phos could be due to a number of reasons, including
normal repair of the liver. Here's a good site for test interpretation
(though the units are from UK and different).
http://www.nwlabs.co.uk/testinterpindx.html

...another good discussion at Dr. Mike's site:
http://www.vetinfo4dogs.com/dalkphos.html

......elevated calcium is the most worrisome indicator of possible
cancer/parathyroid disease/kidney disease. Calcium is supposed to be
homeostatic in the blood - that is, whatever is going on , the body tries to
keep levels constant within a range. Did the lab report mention if the
blood was hemolyzed? Sometimes if blood collection was difficult the RBCs
lyse and release their mineral contents into the serum, elevating some
values. OTOH the value is only 1/10 point out of range - which isn't much.
Could be normal for this dog.

......... Was the blood taken after a 12 hour fast? If not, this could be
the reason the lipase is high.

..........did you just get bloodwork as routine or is there something going
on with your dog? Any recent steroid use, vaccinations, applications of
lawn/house pesticides, new carpeting? Any chronic minor problems?

..........How were the renal values (BUN, creatinine)? Was this BW done in
house or did you get the full meal deal (CBC and full chem panel) and they
sent it off?

buglady
take out the dog before replying

wrote in message
...
Just got back from the vet today, with blood test results. My 8 year
old weimaraner has mostly normal levels, with the following
exceptions:

alkaline phosphatase 511 (norm 10-150)
alt (sgpt) 75 (norm 5-50)
lipase 821 (norm 100-750)
calcium 12.5 (norm 8.2-12.4)

I've poked around on the internet and have seen elevated ALP levels
associated with cancers. Does anyone have any information or sources
for what else might cause elevated alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels?

http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/ is a good site IMHO to
understanding the basics of the various blood test results.

For animal-specific information, try:

http://www.thepetcenter.com/pha/cp.html
http://www.lbah.com/liver.htm

I seem to remember that lipase in the dog is almost exclusively related to
the pancreas (though the Lipase isn't that high, it seems). ALP can also be
elevated due to cholestatic (biliary system) issues. And the two can occur
hand-in-hand, as I recall. Have they done an abdominal ultrasound?

Just some thoughts. I hope you get a good diagnosis and prognosis.

Tirya
--
TDC Inca Jeeper
A girl and her Jeep... it's a beautiful thing...