Symptoms and treatment of fatty liver in cats

Hepatic diseases are one of the most common problems that can be found in cats and whenever this is concerned this body will have to worry, as it is responsible for regenerating the energies that the body needs to perform its vital functions, in addition to filter a large amount of both nutritional and toxic substances for the purpose of metabolism or detoxification; that is why it is an organ predisposed to suffer from diseases. Among these diseases is fatty liver or hepatic lipidosis and can be fatal if not treated in time. Therefore, in this article, we inform you about the symptoms and treatment of fatty liver in cats .

What is fatty liver in cats or hepatic lipidosis

Fatty liver, also called hepatic lipidosis, is a rare liver disease in cats, although it is more common in those who are very housewives, and it is difficult to diagnose. It can appear regardless of whether the cat is female or male and, although it usually happens in cats older than five years, it can occur in a cat of any age.

This problem happens when the cat stops eating, or eats very little, and begins to lose weight . When this happens, the body sends the fats it gets to the liver for it to process, but as the cat loses weight, the liver receives more and more fats until it is impossible to synthesize them all which causes the liver to collapse due to the accumulation of so many fats . Because of this problem of the liver, which ends up producing liver failure, you can see that the cat is under energy and increasingly lose appetite, so you should take your pet to the veterinarian if you see that he is apathetic and not eat. It is very important that you do not subject your cat to a strict diet, you can give it a good quality meal that is low in fat but contains all the necessary nutrients.

Custos of fatty liver in cats

It is very important to control the weight of your cat as well as provide a balanced diet. If the cat is obese and for some reason, either because the food does not like it or has hated it, because something of its environment stresses it or for any other factor loses its appetite and begins to lose weight, anorexia will appear and, as a result, there is a liver failure, which can lead to fatty liver.

There are other causes of fatty liver in cats, such as some diseases that cause fatty liver in cats in a secondary way, because first there is a prolonged loss of appetite:

• Long-term gastroenteritis
• Pancreatitis
• Diabetes

Also, if your cat has any problem that prevents him from eating like a blow to the jaw or an infection and when he tries to take food to his mouth it is painful he will refuse to eat and eventually, if this basic problem is not addressed, Hepatic lipidosis may occur in the cat .

Any eating disorder will cause your cat to stop eating, so it is important to have a set schedule when you go to feed the cat and that they are always the same.

Symptoms of fatty liver in cats

Normally, hepatic lipidosis occurs in obese cats that begin to lose weight due to certain factors and although it can occur in non-obese cats as well, it is very rare.

The symptoms of fatty liver or hepatic lipidosis in cats are:

• Anorexia due to loss of appetite.
• Diarrhea or other types of change in defecation.
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin, the whites of the eyes or gums) due to an increase in bilirubin that occurs when the liver is failing or vomiting together with dehydration.

All these symptoms also produce that the cat is lacking in energy. If you see these signs in your feline, you should go quickly to a veterinarian so you can perform the necessary tests, as well as a palpation and an x-ray, where you will check the size of the liver that tends to increase when you have this disease to apply the best treatment as soon as possible since the life of the cat could be in danger.

Treatment of fatty liver in cats

Cats that have fatty liver usually have dehydration, so they will need fluid therapy and, for this, they will stay hospitalized for a few days so that the veterinarian will administer fluids along with the appropriate medication and a liquid feeding supplied with a syringe so that, This way, the cat recovers its strength and returns to eat on its own.

Most cats refuse to eat even after this, so the vet will be responsible for putting a gastric tube through the nose or neck, the latter will go directly to the stomach. You may need to take the catheter days or even months, so if you do not want to stay hospitalized until your final recovery, your veterinarian will give you the necessary instructions to do it at home.

The treatment should be maintained until the veterinarian indicates and, in addition, follow up with it until the cat stops having accumulated fat in the liver.