Cat Chemistry Panel Explained
Last reviewed: April 2026
Your vet ordered a chemistry panel for your cat. What does it actually test, and what do the results mean? This guide walks through every value on a feline chemistry panel — with cat-specific context that differs meaningfully from dogs.
Cat Chemistry Panel at a Glance
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What is a Cat Chemistry Panel?
A chemistry panel measures substances dissolved in your cat's blood — primarily markers that reflect how well the liver, kidneys, and other organs are functioning. It's not the same as a CBC.
Chemistry panel vs. CBC: A CBC counts blood cells — red cells, white cells, platelets. A chemistry panel measures what's dissolved in the blood — organ markers, proteins, sugars, minerals. Both panels together are called a "full blood panel." Cat values differ significantly from dogs; never use a dog reference chart for your cat.
Your vet typically orders a chemistry panel during wellness exams, before surgery or anesthesia, when your cat shows signs of illness (weight loss, vomiting, increased thirst, lethargy), or to monitor a known condition or long-term medication.
Basic vs. Comprehensive Panel
What's included depends on the panel your vet ordered:
ALT, ALP, BUN, Creatinine, Glucose, Total Protein. Quick liver and kidney screen. Often run in-house for same-day results.
Everything in basic, plus AST, GGT, Bilirubin, Albumin, Globulins, Electrolytes, Calcium, Phosphorus, Cholesterol. More complete picture for wellness exams or sick patients.
Comprehensive panel plus SDMA and T4. T4 is a routine add-on for senior cats because hyperthyroidism is common after age 10 and easily missed without a thyroid screen.
| Panel Type | What's Included | When It's Used |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | ALT, ALP, BUN, Creatinine, Glucose, Total Protein | Quick in-house screen, medication monitoring |
| Comprehensive | Basic + AST, GGT, Bilirubin, Albumin, Globulins, Electrolytes, Calcium, Phosphorus, Cholesterol | Annual wellness, sick patients |
| Senior (7+) / Pre-Anesthetic | Comprehensive + SDMA + T4 | Cats 7+, before surgery or anesthesia |
Liver Values
Liver values make up the largest portion of a chemistry panel. One critical difference from dogs: in cats, any ALP elevation is meaningful. Cats have a much shorter ALP half-life, so even a mild increase warrants investigation — not a "watch and see."
Most liver-specific enzyme. Elevated ALT indicates active liver cell damage. Common causes in cats: hepatic lipidosis, cholangitis, toxin exposure.
Any elevation is significant in cats. Unlike in dogs, there is no "mildly elevated ALP is probably fine" in cats — even 2× elevation warrants follow-up.
Found in both liver and muscle. Elevated AST with high ALT points to liver. Elevated AST with normal ALT suggests muscle injury.
Bile duct marker. More specific for biliary disease than ALP in cats. Elevated in cholangitis, bile duct obstruction, and hepatic lipidosis.
Liver function and RBC breakdown. Jaundice (yellow gums, skin, whites of eyes) appears when bilirubin rises — always a serious finding in cats.
Protein made by the liver. Low albumin in cats points to liver failure, kidney protein loss, or protein-losing enteropathy.
| Test | Normal Range | Screens For |
|---|---|---|
| ALT | 10-100 U/L | Active liver cell damage (most liver-specific) |
| ALP | 0-62 U/L | Liver/bile ducts — any elevation significant in cats |
| AST | 10-50 U/L | Liver OR muscle damage |
| GGT | 0-4 U/L | Bile duct disease, cholangitis |
| Total Bilirubin | 0.0-0.4 mg/dL | Liver function, RBC breakdown (jaundice) |
| Albumin | 2.3-3.9 g/dL | Liver protein production, GI/kidney protein loss |
Hepatic lipidosis: Cats that stop eating for even 2-3 days can develop hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) — a common and serious cause of markedly elevated liver enzymes. It's unique to cats and not seen in dogs. If your cat has been anorexic and now has high ALT and ALP, this is a primary concern.
Kidney Values
Kidney disease is the most common serious illness in senior cats — affecting roughly 1 in 3 cats over age 10. The challenge is that traditional markers only rise after significant kidney function is already lost, making SDMA essential for early detection.
Kidney filtration marker. Also rises with dehydration, high-protein diet, or GI bleeding. Always interpreted alongside creatinine.
Most reliable traditional kidney marker. Cats naturally run higher creatinine than dogs — a value of 1.8 that looks borderline in a dog is quite normal for a cat.
Early kidney disease marker — detects CKD when only 25-40% of function is lost, years before creatinine rises. Especially valuable in cats given CKD prevalence.
Rises as kidney disease progresses. Phosphorus restriction through diet is a cornerstone of CKD management in cats.
| Test | Normal Range | Screens For |
|---|---|---|
| BUN | 14-36 mg/dL | Kidney filtration (affected by diet/hydration) |
| Creatinine | 0.6-2.4 mg/dL | Kidney function (cats run higher than dogs) |
| SDMA | 0-14 μg/dL | Early CKD (detects loss at 25-40% function) |
| Phosphorus | 2.4-8.2 mg/dL | CKD progression, bone metabolism |
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Analyze My Cat's ResultsMetabolic & Other Values
Blood sugar. Cats are highly prone to stress hyperglycemia — a single vet visit can push glucose to 300-400 mg/dL in a completely healthy cat. A one-time high reading does not diagnose diabetes.
Sum of albumin and globulins. Reflects nutrition, liver function, immune status, and protein loss through kidneys or GI tract.
Immune proteins. Markedly elevated globulins (above 7-8 g/dL) in cats strongly suggest FIP or chronic infection and warrant further testing.
Fat metabolism. Elevated with diabetes and some endocrine diseases. Less diagnostically significant in cats than in dogs.
Elevated calcium in cats is often idiopathic (no identifiable cause) or associated with cancer, hyperparathyroidism, or vitamin D toxicity.
| Test | Normal Range | Screens For |
|---|---|---|
| Glucose | 60-120 mg/dL | Diabetes (stress hyperglycemia very common in cats) |
| Total Protein | 5.7-8.9 g/dL | Nutrition, liver, protein loss |
| Globulins | 2.8-5.1 g/dL | Immune response (very high = FIP or infection) |
| Cholesterol | 75-220 mg/dL | Fat metabolism, endocrine disease |
| Calcium | 8.2-10.8 mg/dL | Idiopathic hypercalcemia, cancer, toxicity |
Stress hyperglycemia: Cats have a pronounced stress response that can spike blood glucose to 300-400 mg/dL from anxiety alone. Your vet will typically check fructosamine (a 2-3 week average) before diagnosing feline diabetes rather than relying on a single glucose value.
Thyroid — T4
T4 is not part of a standard chemistry panel for dogs, but it's routinely added for cats over age 7 — and for good reason. Hyperthyroidism is one of the most common diseases in senior cats, and it's easily missed without a thyroid screen because early symptoms (weight loss, increased appetite, hyperactivity) can look like normal aging.
Thyroid hormone. Elevated T4 = hyperthyroidism. Common in cats 10+, affecting roughly 10% of that age group. Treatment options include methimazole, radioactive iodine, or diet therapy.
More sensitive than total T4. Used when T4 is borderline or when hyperthyroidism is suspected despite a normal T4.
| Test | Normal Range | Screens For |
|---|---|---|
| T4 (Total) | 0.8-4.0 μg/dL | Hyperthyroidism (elevated = common in cats 10+) |
| Free T4 (ED) | 0.7-2.5 ng/dL | Borderline hyperthyroidism (more sensitive) |
Electrolytes
Hydration and fluid balance. Abnormalities often relate to kidney disease, vomiting, or inappropriate fluid intake.
Critical for heart and muscle function. Low potassium (hypokalemia) is common in cats with CKD and can cause profound muscle weakness.
Follows sodium closely. Used with sodium and potassium to assess acid-base balance.
| Test | Normal Range | Screens For |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 149-164 mEq/L | Hydration, fluid balance |
| Potassium | 3.5-5.8 mEq/L | Heart/muscle function (low in CKD cats) |
| Chloride | 117-126 mEq/L | Acid-base balance, fluid status |
Common Abnormal Patterns in Cats
These are the most common multi-value patterns seen on feline chemistry panels:
Significant liver disease in cats. The most common causes are hepatic lipidosis (especially if the cat stopped eating recently), cholangitis, and hyperthyroidism-related liver changes. Requires workup.
Both elevated together signals chronic kidney disease, the most common serious illness in senior cats. Staging by IRIS criteria guides treatment decisions. Elevated SDMA with normal creatinine = early CKD caught before it's advanced.
Classic hyperthyroidism pattern. Highly treatable. Notable: hyperthyroidism can mask underlying CKD by artificially increasing kidney blood flow — treating the thyroid may unmask kidney disease.
Likely stress hyperglycemia, not diabetes. Common at vet visits. Fructosamine distinguishes true feline diabetes from stress response. Don't start insulin based on one glucose reading alone.
Markedly elevated globulins in cats are a red flag for FIP (feline infectious peritonitis) or other chronic infections. The albumin-to-globulin ratio falling below 0.8 is particularly concerning for FIP.
CKD with hypokalemia — common in senior cats. Low potassium causes muscle weakness and worsens kidney function in a feedback loop. Potassium supplementation is often part of CKD management.
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Related Reading
Cat CBC Explained
The other half of a full blood panel
Cat Bloodwork Normal Ranges
Complete reference chart for all values
How to Read Cat Blood Test Results
Full bloodwork interpretation guide
Chronic Kidney Disease in Cats
CKD staging and what bloodwork shows
Cat Hyperthyroidism & Blood Tests
What elevated T4 means
Hepatic Lipidosis in Cats
Fatty liver disease and its lab signature
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- ✓ Suggest questions to bring to your veterinarian
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a cat chemistry panel?
A chemistry panel measures organ function markers in your cat's blood — liver enzymes, kidney values, glucose, proteins, electrolytes, and thyroid hormone. It's different from a CBC, which counts blood cells. Both are often ordered together as a full blood panel.
Why is ALP elevation more serious in cats than dogs?
Cats have a much shorter ALP half-life than dogs, so ALP clears from the blood quickly. Even a mild elevation means significant ongoing production — always worth investigating in cats. In dogs, mildly elevated ALP is common and often benign.
What does high blood glucose mean in cats?
Cats are highly prone to stress hyperglycemia — a single vet visit can push glucose to 300-400 mg/dL in a healthy cat. A high glucose reading without other symptoms doesn't confirm feline diabetes. Fructosamine (a 2-3 week average) is used to distinguish true diabetes from stress response.
Why is T4 on my cat's blood panel?
T4 screens for hyperthyroidism, which affects roughly 10% of cats over age 10. Cats develop hyperthyroidism (high T4) — the opposite of dogs, which get hypothyroidism (low T4). It's routinely added to senior cat panels because early symptoms are subtle and easily missed.
What if multiple values are abnormal?
Multiple abnormalities point to a pattern. High ALT plus any ALP elevation = liver disease. High BUN plus creatinine = CKD. Very high globulins = possible FIP. Vets interpret the full picture rather than individual values.
How often should cats have a chemistry panel?
Healthy adult cats: annually from age 3. Senior cats (7+): every 6-12 months with T4. Cats on methimazole or prednisolone: every 3-6 months. Before any anesthesia: baseline recommended.