Liver Function Test (LFT)
A Liver Function Test (LFT) is a group of blood tests that can show how well the liver is working and whether it is under strain. It is done on serum from dogs, cats, cows and buffaloes.
- Sample
- Serum (plain)
- Quantity
- 2 mL
- Report
- Same day to 24 hours
- Collection
- Free in Bhopal
What this test checks
- SGPT (ALT) - an enzyme that leaks out of damaged liver cells
- SGOT (AST) - an enzyme found in the liver and also in muscle
- ALP (alkaline phosphatase) - an enzyme linked to bile flow
- Bilirubin - the yellow pigment that makes gums and eyes look yellow when it builds up
- Total protein and albumin - blood proteins, with albumin made by the liver
Benefits of this test
- Checks several liver markers from one small serum sample.
- Can show liver trouble early, sometimes before signs are obvious at home.
- Helps your vet decide whether more tests, such as an ultrasound scan, are needed.
- Can be repeated to follow a liver problem over time.
- Gives useful information before surgery or anaesthesia.
Often discussed at these ages:Adult DogSenior DogSenior CatAdult HorseSenior Horse
When your vet may advise it
- Yellow gums, eyes or skin (jaundice) in any animal.
- Repeated vomiting, poor appetite or weight loss in a dog or cat.
- A cat that has stopped eating, because fatty liver can follow.
- A suspected poisoning, or a pet that swallowed something harmful.
- A cow or buffalo with weight loss, poor appetite or falling milk yield when the vet suspects liver trouble.
- Before surgery, or while a pet is on long-term medicine that your vet wants to monitor.
About this test
The liver cleans the blood, makes proteins, stores energy and makes bile, which helps digest fat. When liver cells are hurt, enzymes (proteins that speed up work in the body) leak into the blood. Other markers, such as bilirubin, also rise or fall. A Liver Function Test (LFT) measures several of these markers from one sample.
The blood is collected in a plain tube and left to clot. The clear liquid on top is called serum. The lab separates it and tests it with special chemicals and an analyser. A typical LFT looks at the liver enzymes SGPT (ALT), SGOT (AST) and ALP, with bilirubin and blood proteins. The exact list is shown on your report.
Vets use an LFT to find out if the liver is behind signs such as yellow eyes, vomiting or weight loss. It also helps them keep watch on a known liver problem. Each species has its own normal range, so the result is read separately for a dog, cat, cow or buffalo.
How to prepare
Many vets ask dogs and cats to skip food for 8 to 12 hours before sampling, with water allowed. Follow your vet's advice, which may differ for cows and buffaloes, and never starve a puppy, kitten or sick animal unless the vet says so. Sample collection is free anywhere in Bhopal, and from other places your vet can send the sample to our lab by courier or bus parcel.
Reading the result
A registered veterinarian reads the LFT together with your animal's signs and history and with other tests, because normal values differ between species. One high value does not name the disease, so your vet may repeat the test or add other tests.
Questions about LFT
What does a high SGPT (ALT) mean in my dog or cat?
Does the LFT work the same way in cows and buffaloes?
Does my pet need to fast before an LFT?
How soon will I get the LFT report?
Before you book this test
Why this notice: so you know, before you book, how a test is done, what its limits are and who is responsible.
- Where it is tested. Some tests are done wholly or partly by an independent partner laboratory. The lab tells you before booking if this test is sent out, and the report names the laboratory that did it.
- What a result can and cannot tell you. No test is right every time. A normal result does not rule out every disease, and an abnormal result does not prove one. A registered veterinarian should read the report with the animal’s signs and history before any treatment is started, changed or stopped.
- The sample. A sample that is clotted, too small, wrongly labelled, leaking or too old may be rejected or reported with a note, and the lab may ask for a fresh one.
- Reporting time. Same day to 24 hours. Times are estimates, not guarantees, and the lab confirms the time when you book.
- Emergencies. A booking or a pending report must not delay urgent care. If an animal has collapsed, struggles to breathe, has fits or bleeds heavily, call a veterinarian at once.
Please read our Terms of Service, Medical Disclaimer, Privacy Policy and Refund and Cancellation Policy. Pashupatinath Vet Lab is operated by Duaji Healthcare and Tech Private Limited. This page is general information and does not replace a veterinarian’s advice.
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LFT: Bhopal and the big cities of Madhya Pradesh
Free sample collection anywhere in Bhopal. From the other cities, send the sample by courier, bus parcel or through your local veterinarian, and the report comes to you online.
Free collection in these Bhopal areas
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