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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Liver Disease in Obese Cats (Hepatic Lipidosis)

The argument for a healthy diet for a pet cat is a strong one. Proper diet and regular exercise benefit cats just the same as humans. Overweight cats can become extremely sick. One such disease that seems to affect obese cats is hepatic lipidosis. Hepatic lipidosis is also known as feline fatty liver syndrome. The disease tends to affect females of the species more than males. It also tends to affect obese cats more than cats at a proper healthy weight. Cats are the only animals that develop this disease. If not treated immediately and aggressively, there is a 90 percent fatality rate. No one knows its cause, but obesity is something that can increase the chances of it.

Hepatic lipidosis tends to be triggered after a period of a loss of appetite within a cat. No one really comprehends why there is a loss of appetite in the first place, but this is where the disease first starts. The cat's starving of self forces the body's fat deposits to be run through the liver. The heavy amounts of fat being broken down by the liver essentially overwhelm it. The liver cannot process the fat that is being absorbed for sustenance fast enough. This is why the disease is much more dangerous for obese cats. Some cat owners have reacted to their cast's refusal to eat food with indifference, while others have opted to force feed their pet. Both of the previous options shouldn't be employed. The only real way to stay on top of such a potentially life-threatening disease is to take your pet to the vet at the first signs of anorexia.

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Anorexia is the first stage of hepatic lipidosis, which can be followed by lethargy, vomiting and jaundice which is a yellowing of the gums, skin and inner ear. Extreme cases include drooling, blindness, semi-coma and seizures. All of these symptoms are signs that the cat should be taken to a veterinarian.

A veterinarian will be able to determine hepatic lipidosis with a blood test and an x-ray to determine the state of the liver. Obviously, the most complete way of diagnosing the disease is to determine the fat globules on the liver. This is usually done by an invasive procedure where part of the liver is extracted or a lesser technique where a sample is taken with a needle.

The solution to hepatic lipidosis requires aggressive feeding of the cat. Of course, some (again) resort to force feeding, which isn't the best for the cat and gives the animal stress. Most argue that the best option to pursue during full-blown hepatic lipidosis is tube feeding. Tube feeding does introduce stress as well, with the options being a nose tube, a throat tube or a stomach tube. Even with tube feeding, the percentage of death is only reduced to 30 percent.

An intensive high protein diet for three to six weeks is what comes next. The liver stabilizes and the cat can eventually get back to its normal life. Cats have the ability to regenerate their livers rather quickly. Furthermore, the chances of a cat having this disease twice are rare.

With a potential 10 percent survival rate and a forced corrective diet, hepatic lipidosis is a strong argument against the perpetuation of feline obesity. Proper diet and exercise can be strong deterrents to this potentially fatal disease.

Liver Disease in Obese Cats (Hepatic Lipidosis)

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Cat Fatty Liver - You Can Call it Feline Hepatic Lipidosis, But This is Still a Fatty Liver in Cats

If you are smiling at your sweet rolly, polly cat you may be silently promoting cat fatty liver disease in your cat. Our cats and dogs are growing fatter - just like us. This encourages diseases that fitter cats aren't as prone to developing. Here's how to recognize fatty liver disease in cats and how you can prevent it.

Feline liver failure is a common cat illness which is linked with other feline diseases like feline hepatic lipidosis also known as cat fatty liver syndrome. While this can occur in cats with moderate weight it usually surprises cat owners of overweight, larger, older cats.

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It is common that a cat experiencing feline hepatic lipidosis, cat fatty liver disease, also had something that caused him high stress. A classic example is a neutered male cat fighting off or defending his property lines. Stray intact toms are a threat to your neutered cat and this threat is extremely stressful to him.

It can also be a real sneaker of a disease. One cat owner brought in her Siamese mix cat to the clinic for a teeth cleaning. He was around 7 years old, not hugely fat but overweight by 3 pounds. He was a large cat though, big boned, tall and long like the Siamese breed.

He'd been off his feed for a couple of days and very lethargic. The owner thought he might have a bad tooth that's why she brought him in for the office visit. Well the office visit turned into an overnight emergency stay.

The cat was extremely dehydrated and blood work showed some signs of cat fatty liver disease at work. After monitoring, intravenous fluids and some special diet food he improved enough to go home. The cat owner was very surprised by the condition of her cat. She was very contentious about care, but this illness is a sneaky killer and caught her by surprise.

Her cat was a neutered male that was indoors and outdoors. During the exam we also found some bite wounds on his chest. Our theory was that he had been in a cat fight. He may have won the fight, but the battle took it out of him. The stress knocked out his appetite and he was literally hours from death when he arrived for his 'teeth cleaning.'

Once the cat was able to go back home we recommended the owner get some flower essences or a homeopathic remedy to help reduce the cat's stress. Using a natural approach works well for cats and dogs. These homeopathic remedies calm cats, reducing stress levels and have added benefits of strengthening the immune system and supporting liver functions.

Cat Fatty Liver - You Can Call it Feline Hepatic Lipidosis, But This is Still a Fatty Liver in Cats

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