Article by Embark Veterinary DNA

 

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​ALT Activity is a clinical tool and not a health result. This result is used to inform your vet that your dog’s healthy baseline may be slightly different than the average dog.

 

Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is a clinical tool that can be used by veterinarians to better monitor liver health. This result is not associated with liver disease. ALT is one of several values veterinarians measure on routine blood work to evaluate the liver. It is a naturally occurring enzyme located in liver cells that helps break down protein. When the liver is damaged or inflamed, ALT is released into the bloodstream.

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Dogs with one or two copies of this variant will have an ALT level that is either low or on the low end of the normal range even when they are completely healthy and their liver function is normal.

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This genetic predisposition is not a health problem. It is also not an ALT blood level result like what a veterinarian would monitor. This clinical tool informs that some dogs may have a low-normal ALT baseline.

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Human body temperature is a helpful analogy for ALT activity. Some people run hot, some run cool, and some people have a baseline temp of 98.6 degrees. Having a lower or higher baseline temperature isn't a health concern, but a useful piece of information to share with one's doctor. If your normal temperature is 97.2 degrees, then you may be concerned about a fever at 99.5 degrees, whereas someone whose normal temperature is 99 degrees would be less likely to detect a fever with a reading of 99.5 degrees.

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Similarly, having lower than average baseline ALT activity is not a health risk, but merely a piece of information we'd encourage you to share with your vet so that they may better understand your dog’s blood ALT levels. 

 

Just like body temperature, even healthy ALT levels are not the same every time they are measured.

 

While breeding decisions can be complex, lower-than-average baseline ALT activity is typically not a reason to remove a dog from a breeding program. 

 

Article on Embark website here

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Another article on Embark here