Alkaline phosphate levels in dogs are usually better described as the liver enzymes found in your dog’s liver that are necessary for proper blood work in the body.
The above is usually abbreviated as ALP just in case it is used below.
The ALP levels in the dog’s body should be maintained at a low level in the body because they may cause disorders by being dangerously high in your dog’s blood system.
How do you lower the ALP in your dog? Once a test is done on your dog’s blood and it is determined that your dog has high levels of ALP in the body, the best thing that can be recommended is changing their diet.
This is required to reduce the alkaline food items in your dog’s diet that may be leading to the high levels of ALP in their body. This means that to lower the alkaline in your dog, an acidic diet must be introduced to the dog’s diet.
Below is more on ALP and how to manage it in your dog.
The various ways of maintaining a low level of ALP for your dog are also discussed.
What is the required level of alkaline phosphate in dogs?
The normal values of the alkaline phosphate in the blood should range from about 24 to 210 units per liter to be considered normal.
However, this may vary depending on the lab your dog gets tested so it is important to ask for the standard values once you take your dog for the test.
How do you find out your dog’s ALP?
When it comes to knowing this, it is recommended to take your dog to a vet to get a blood test done to determine the ALP levels in the blood.
The test done is called a biochemical test which requires blood to be drawn from your dog and taken to the lab for testing.
When getting the ALP value for your dog, there some values that are used to deduce this information.
This is information from various types of testing such as:
- The functionality of organs found within the organs.
- The electrolytes in the blood.
- The quantity of the enzymes circulating in your dog’s body
What causes the high levels of alkaline phosphate in your dog’s body?
There are a couple of things that may cause an increase in the percentage of alkaline phosphatase in the body.
Most of them have something to do with the diet that your dog maintains.
Below are the three main reasons why your dog’s ALP are over the roof:
1. They may be elevated when your dog has diseases of the liver.
This means that this may be an indicator to get your dog checked for any liver problems.
2. It may also be caused by low bone health in your dog’s body.
This is when your dog has weak bones which mainly happens due to either genetics or maintaining a poor diet for your dog.
3. The last main reason why your dog has high ALP levels is because of a lack of Vitamin D.
There are some minor reasons why your dog could be having high levels of ALP.
These are changes in their diet and lifestyle.
They are all associated with your dog’s diet.
So it is important to make sure the diet they are getting has a balanced diet and the food is of nutritional value to avoid this and other health conditions.
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What are the effects of having the ALP in extreme levels in your dog’s body?
When the levels are too high, they may be an indicator of problems with your dog’s liver.
Other conditions that may be indicated by high levels of ALP are:
- Cushing’s disease
- Bone disease
- Bile duct obstruction
- Hepatic nodular hyperplasia
When the levels are extremely low, they may be an indicator of a bad diet, some malnutrition (which can be from the side of the owner or of the dog), and signs of starvation.
How do you lower the alkaline phosphatase levels in the body?
The above explains how the levels go up but now it is time to discuss how to regulate those levels to reduce the effects of having the high levels in your dog’s bloodstream.
This is because, as you can see, there are some dangerous and fatal consequences when the levels of ALP are on both extremes.
Here are some of the ways of maintaining a healthy level of ALP in the body:
1. Improve your dog’s diet. Make sure he is getting a balanced diet and that he is getting enough food.
Be sure to check whether he eats and if not, try to make them finish their food.
2. Add leafy greens to your dog’s diet. Leafy greens are vegetables such as spinach and kale.
This helps lower the ALP in your dog due to their richness in folate.
3. Allow your dog to get a lot of exercise and take them on regular walks.
This keeps them healthy and improves their bone strength as well.
4. It is also good to ensure your dog gets enough sunlight.
They can be basking or playing outside and get enough sunlight from being outside.
In case your dog is reluctant to go outside, it is important to find out what is wrong preferably by taking them to the vet.
What are some examples of low alkaline foods you could feed your dog?
It has been mentioned that diet is always very important in lowering the ALP.
This means before the vet provides supplements for you and your dog, you should focus on changing their diet altogether to increase the intake of acidic food to balance out the high alkaline levels of the ALP in the body.
An example of this is vegetables with high acidity to help neutralize the alkaline environment in your dog’s stomach.
Here are some of the recommended food types that are recommended for your dog to reduce and neutralize the high alkaline levels in your dog’s blood:
- Leafy greens
- Asparagus
- Legumes
- Brussel sprouts
As a dog owner, be sure to take your dog for testing and checkups once in a while to get professional advice on how to go about this.
Always contact your vet for any assistance.
