Therefore, I will recommend surgery only if the risk associated with surgery is less than the risk of continuing with medical management. There is always a small risk the dog may not make it through anesthesia/surgery, is permanently worse, or never improves.
1 The blood tests most frequently used for liver disease are the aminotransferases (alanine aminotransferase or ALT and aspartate aminotransferase or AST). 2  Normal levels of ALT ranges from about 7-56 units/liter, and 10-40units/liters for AST.
Liver function tests. Liver function tests may be arranged to help diagnose or monitor liver problems. These blood tests may also be called LFTs, liver panel or hepatic function tests. The liver's job is to filter blood as it travels around the body, but it can become damaged or affected by disease.