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Albumin and globulin in dogs: reading the protein lines of the chemistry panel

Total protein, albumin and globulin appear on most chemistry panels. Read together, they point to dehydration, inflammation or protein loss through the gut or the kidneys. Here is how to read each line and the patterns vets look for.

Written by the AI DiagAnimals editorial teamReviewed by the AI DiagAnimals TeamUpdated Our editorial policy

The essentials

In dogs, albumin is roughly 2.3–3.1 g/dL and globulin 2.7–4.4 g/dL, depending on the laboratory. High albumin almost always means dehydration. Low albumin points to loss through the gut or kidneys, inflammation or, less often, liver failure. High globulin usually reflects inflammation or infection, rarely a cancer of plasma cells. Reading both together, with the A:G ratio, narrows the cause.

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The three protein lines

Merck Veterinary Manual values, for illustration only. g/dL × 10 = g/L [2].
LineWhat it isExample dog interval [1]
TP (total protein)All the proteins in serum.5.4–7.5 g/dL (54–75 g/L)
ALB (albumin)Made by the liver; holds water in the blood vessels and carries calcium, bilirubin and drugs [2].2.3–3.1 g/dL (23–31 g/L)
GLOB (globulin)Antibodies and inflammation proteins; calculated as total protein minus albumin [3].2.7–4.4 g/dL (27–44 g/L)

The total protein measured with a refractometer on the blood count is often a little higher than the chemistry value, so the two are not directly comparable [4]. Puppies and kittens have lower albumin and globulin than adults [2, 3].

How to read the albumin line

Here is an example line from a dog’s chemistry panel.

An annotated line from a lab report · Illustrative example
AbbreviationResultUnitLaboratory intervalFlag
ALB Albumin1.7g/dL2.3–3.1L
  1. Abbreviation ALB or albumin.
  2. Result 1.7 g/dL in this illustrative line: clearly low.
  3. Unit g/dL in the United States, g/L in Europe: 1.7 g/dL = 17 g/L.
  4. Laboratory interval The example uses the dog interval of the Merck Veterinary Manual [1].
  5. Flag L: below the interval. The globulin and cholesterol lines, and a urine test, help find where the albumin is going [2].

Low albumin in dogs

  • Low albumin and low globulin together. Most often protein loss through the gut (protein-losing enteropathy) or severe bleeding [2]. A low cholesterol as well is a classic clue for gut loss [5].
  • Low albumin with normal globulin. Points to loss through the kidneys (glomerular disease, often with a high urine protein:creatinine ratio and high cholesterol) or to liver failure [2]. See protein in urine.
  • Inflammation. Albumin is a “negative acute phase protein”: the liver makes less of it during inflammation. In one study, albumin averaged 1.9 g/dL in dogs with sepsis versus 3.2 g/dL in healthy dogs [2].
  • Liver failure. Albumin falls only after more than 80% of liver function is lost [2].
  • Poor intake. Protein deficiency takes about 2 weeks to push albumin below the interval [2].

Very low albumin can let fluid leak out of the vessels, causing swelling of the legs or belly, or fluid in the chest or abdomen.

High albumin and high globulin

  • High albumin. The most common cause is dehydration [2]. Corticosteroid medicines can also raise it mildly [2].
  • High globulin with many antibody types (polyclonal). Chronic inflammation or infection, liver disease, heartworm or Ehrlichia [3].
  • High globulin from a single antibody type (monoclonal). Multiple myeloma, a cancer of plasma cells, is the most common cause; lymphoma is another. Protein electrophoresis tells the two patterns apart [3].

The A:G ratio

The albumin-to-globulin ratio is close to 1 in most species [6]. A high total protein with a normal ratio suggests dehydration, because both rise together. The same total protein with a low ratio suggests the globulins have risen, as with inflammation [6]. A low ratio with low albumin and normal globulin points to kidney loss [2].

Results often read with albumin and globulin

Urine protein (UPC)

Shows whether albumin is being lost through the kidneys.

Read the article

Cholesterol

Low with gut protein loss, high with kidney protein loss.

Read the article

Liver values

ALT, ALP and bile acids, when liver failure is a question.

Read the article

Calcium falls with albumin, because much of it is carried by albumin: see high calcium in dogs and cats.

Diseases behind these patterns: protein-losing enteropathy and, in cats, FIP.

En français : albumine et globulines du chien.

Questions to ask your veterinarian

  1. Are albumin and globulin both low, or only one of them?
  2. Should we check the urine protein:creatinine ratio?
  3. Could the gut be losing protein, and what tests would show it?
  4. If globulin is high, is protein electrophoresis needed?
  5. Could dehydration explain a high albumin or total protein?
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Frequently asked questions

What causes low albumin in dogs?

Protein loss through the gut or kidneys, severe bleeding, inflammation and, less often, liver failure or poor intake [2].

What is protein-losing enteropathy in dogs?

A group of gut diseases in which proteins leak into the intestine. Albumin and globulin often fall together, frequently with a low cholesterol [2, 5].

What does high globulin mean in a dog?

Most often chronic inflammation or infection. Rarely, a single type of antibody is produced in excess by a cancer such as multiple myeloma [3].

What is a normal A:G ratio in dogs?

Close to 1 in most species. Your laboratory may print its own interval; the pattern of the two values matters more than the ratio alone [6].

Can low albumin in dogs be treated?

Treatment targets the cause: the gut disease, the kidney protein loss or the inflammation. Your vet may also manage fluid build-up while the cause is treated.

Sources

  1. Merck Veterinary Manual. Serum biochemical analysis reference ranges. merckvetmanual.com/reference-values-and-conversion-tables/reference-guides/serum-biochemical-analysis-reference-ranges
  2. eClinPath, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Albumin. eclinpath.com/chemistry/proteins/albumin
  3. eClinPath, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Globulins. eclinpath.com/chemistry/proteins/globulins
  4. eClinPath, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Total protein. eclinpath.com/chemistry/proteins/total-protein
  5. eClinPath, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Cholesterol. eclinpath.com/chemistry/energy-metabolism/cholesterol
  6. eClinPath, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Albumin:globulin ratio. eclinpath.com/chemistry/proteins/albuminglobulin

Laboratory methods and reference intervals vary. This article explains; it does not diagnose. For a decision about your pet, use the original report and talk to your veterinarian. Our editorial policy.

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