Cat Fatty Liver Disease - Don't Overlook This Leading Cause of Deadly Feline Hepatic Lipidosis

Feline Hepatic Lipidosis, also known as cat fatty liver, is simply an accumulation of fat in the liver tissue primarily found in older cats. Sounds simple but at best it is problematic and at worst, cat fatty liver can lead to fatal complications. To understand this condition it helps to understand liver function.

Cat livers, like our own, do some critically important jobs for the body. The liver filters blood, prepares toxic waste for elimination by the kidneys and detoxifies drugs, chemicals and other unusable substances. The liver must also manufacture blood proteins and fats and store energy including fat soluble vitamins and iron for future use. And that's not even nearly all; the liver is responsible for over 1000 essential functions which cannot be done anywhere else in the body.

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The most common feature of cats presenting with cat fatty liver is obesity and the most common symptom is loss of appetite. The irony is that this appetite loss is both the cause and the initial symptom. When an obese cat stops eating for whatever reason, could be stress or illness, whatever the reason the cats body must then convert fat to usable energy.

This is a normal function of the liver and normally not a big deal. But when the loss of appetite persists and the liver is forced to perform this function for a period of time, fat builds up in the liver itself and the result is cat fatty liver. A cat suffering from liver disease will be jaundiced and will begin to suffer other organ breakdown if left untreated.

Caught in the early stages there is a 90% chance of full recovery. If allowed to progress the prognosis drops to 10% chance of recovery in the late stages. It is therefore imperative to seek treatment for a cat that is not eating. Initial treatment will involve feeding the cat intravenously to shore up its energy and relieve the liver.

Once the cat is on the mend small amounts of easily digested food can be given by mouth. Every three hours small portions of very liquid natural foods until the cat shows signs of a full recovery. This may take three to six weeks.

Once the cat is on the road to recovery pet parents will want to ensure the pet stays out of the woods (no one who has been through cat fatty liver will want to go through it again). Keeping weight manageable, making sure the cat has plenty of opportunities for exercise and providing a natural homemade healthy diet rich in vitamins and minerals will keep the liver strong.

Cat Fatty Liver Disease - Don't Overlook This Leading Cause of Deadly Feline Hepatic Lipidosis

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