Guinea Pig High ALT levels of the liver

[kizzykit]

Hi,

I am wondering if anyone has experienced a Guinea Pig with the ALT levels in the liver being high What could that possibly mean?

The situation is one of my Guinea recently died and they did a post mortom and found he had cushings diese. My other guinea pig had a blood test which shows that the ATL leaves in the liver are high and he now needs a scan

 

[Wiebke]

Hi and welcome

I am very sorry for your loss. Unlike in hamsters, Cushings disease is much, much rarer in guinea pigs but that is unfortunately no consolation for you - we only come across a case on here perhaps every 2-3 years.
It is not curable in guinea pigs and is in our experience on here usually connected with a rather quick decline soon after symptoms become visible (irregular hair loss in connection with weight loss). Because of the comparative rarity in guinea pigs and the somewhat general symptoms they can be easily misdiagnosed or stump a vet. Cushings is an overproduction of the hormone cortisol in the two adrenal glands which sit right on top of each kidney.


Unfortunately for you, high ALT levels point towards liver disease. I assume that your vet wants to have a closer look at the liver so they can then discuss any further steps on a more informed basis.

Please be kind with yourself as you are being hit by a double whammy of bad news. Neither illness is caused by you or is the result of bad care. It is simply down to genetics and what goes wrong first in a piggy body when the much faster metabolism turns against them. This something none of us has any control over.

HUGS

 

[fluffysal]

Hello and welcome. I'm afraid I have no advice just wanted to offer support.