My cat's amylase is high, but vet isn't worried. Should I be?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Just because a Lipase is elevated does not automatically indicate that a dog has pancreatitis. Serum lipase and even amylase can increase with multiple other causes, not just pancreatitis. This is why it is difficult to diagnose pancreatitis based on these levels alone. If Diesel is symptomatic for pancreatitis with these values, I would have additional testing performed to help confirm pancreatitis. I would even consider an abdominal ultrasound if possible. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

BUN and creatinine are elevated which may mean that there is a kidney failure going on (Urine specific gravity should be tested ideally to check if the kidneys are able to concentrate the urine). Amylase is moderately elevated as well and could suggest an inflammation of the pancreas. Please repost your question and give us more details about the clinical signs Xixa is showing so we can give you more specific answers.

I would not be too worried with what you have described. Lipase has next to no diagnostic significance and some laboratories do not even test for it anymore. The reason being is that lipase can have huge differences in normal dogs. The calcium may or may not be relevant, but on its own is not alarming and does not indicate any one specific problem. Overall, I recommend not focusing too much on the biochemistry results and focusing more on the veterinarian's interpretation. Interpreting biochemistry results is extremely complicated and takes into account multiple findings. The findings on history and physical exam are very important when interpreting lab results, so if Miley Sue is acting normal and the vet has not diagnosed a specific condition, then this indicates that nothing serious is going on she should be fine. Your veterinarian should be able to give you more information regarding the recent results and possible problems. If your vet has not answered your questions fully, then I recommend calling and asking to speak with them. As a vet, I would want to ensure my client fully understands their pet's condition, so I would have no problem taking the time to explain everything. I hope that helps and all is well with Milley Sue.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! No, the basophils can be slightly high and not be a real concern. In his case, they are just very mildly elevated and not really something concerning. That could be due to some degree or inflammation that may resolve on its own. Best of luck!

The blood work changes you are seeing are not very significant in the absence of any pertinent clinical signs. Increased lipase can be associated with pancreatitis, but usually a follow up blood test would only be done if there was evidence of this condition in Phil's overall health and well being (lethargy, vomiting, pain in the abdomen). MCV / MCHC changes are insigificant in the absence of a concurrent anemia. The alkaline phos change is very small. I would continue to monitor Phil's blood work on a twice yearly basis for the time being unless there are significant changes to his health where it would be warranted more frequently. Hope this helps.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Rocky. Lipase values can be elevated in cases of pancreatitis and occasionally liver and kidney disease. However, it is a not a very sensitive marker of this disease. For this reason, if the remainder of his blood work is normal and he is not acting sick, then I do not worry too much about an elevation in lipase. I hope this information helps!

A high fPLI test (Pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity) value is an indication of an inflammation of the pancreas of your cat. We are finding more and more cats with chronic pancreatitis and one way of treating this is with a diet food. You should ask your veterinarian to discuss this value with you and whether he thinks it warrants treatment or not. This seems to be a problem mainly in older kitties and there really is no known causal therapy. So the therapy is symptomatic and depends on clinical signs.