Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I posted awhile back about having a fat cat and wondering how much he should eat. One of the people who responded cautioned me about reducing his food too quickly or by too much b/c it can lead to liver problems.

This week I had some bloodwork done on my cat and it came back some component of his liver tests was high. Unfortunately I cannot remember the name of the enzyme/chemical. All I know is that the upper limit is 100 and my cat's was 105. The vet didn't seem overly concerned and said that it wouldn't interfere with him being "knocked out" for dental cleaning.

I, however, am concerned that something I may be doing at home is causing this. Can someone give me some advice on what I may or may not be doing that can contribute to this?

Wolfgang is 13 yrs old and the vet said he is 17 lbs (I thought he was closer to 20 when I weighed him at home, but I was trying to use a bathroom scale so it may not have been that accurate). She did NOT comment on his size at all. He is solid (not flabby), so maybe his weight isn't as much of an issue as I think.

Thanks for any help/advice.

Hi There,

One liver enzyme being slightly elevated isn't usually significant. If all 3 were significantly elevated (SGPT, SGOT, and Alk Phos) that would be another thing.

I can't imagine that this elevation has been caused by anything that you are doing, or not doing, at home. So try not to worry about that

You might want to consider having your baby's blood retested in a few months, just to make sure all is well.

Regards,
PHKitkat

Hi -- I had cautioned you last year about this time when you were going to start restricting the diet to not do anything sudden or drastic -- to not cut food back dramatically and make it gradual. It sounds like you did, three pounds over a year isn't sudden. I do recommend you discuss with your vet that you changed his diet to see if they agree with the diet you are feeding. If your vet isn't overly concerned by the liver number, you probably have no cause to worry. Most importantly is that he has a healthy appetite and eats regularly. Many times liver problems set in when a cat doesn't eat well and loses its appetite. Keeping an eye on his bloodwork is a good idea. You didn't mention his age, but once a cat becomes senior, around age 8-10, twice-yearly vet visits with blood and urine checks are a good idea. You can detect problems early and take care of them quickly for the long term... I started twice yearly vet visits for my cats at about age 10 and it helped control common problems in senior cats in the long run.
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Tammy and Pookey
(Stanley 8/91 - 8/07)

I re-read. He's 13. Good time to start 6 month blood and urine checks if you don't already... He's around the age subtle changes will start showing up and diet changes and meds can help him live a long and comfortable life.
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Tammy and Pookey
(Stanley 8/91 - 8/07)