Feline Idiopathic Hepatic Lipidosis Symptoms and Treatments

Cats need a regular intake of food to maintain a healthy metabolism. Normally they will have a healthy appetite and take in enough food to remain fit and healthy but there are occasions when a cat will either become anorexic or is starved, and this can lead to an extremely severe feline liver disease/condition known as feline idiopathic hepatic lipidosis.

There may be many reasons for a cat becoming anorexic; the most common is stress or depression, which can occur because of disruption in the household, or the death of a sibling. You may notice that your cat shows little interest in eating and sits by himself - this is never something to dismiss if it goes on for longer than two days.

Another problem that has been identified particularly in obese cats is that if they are put on a crash diet they are very likely to develop hepatic lipidosis, simply because it is the body's natural defense mechanism against starvation to draw on fat reserves. Starvation diets tend to be imposed by owners who have not fully understood the implications of starvation diets, and need to discuss the best forms of weight loss with their veterinary surgeon.

Other reasons for a cat not eating can include pain, particularly if a mouth abscess or dental problem is making it painful to eat, or there is an underlying condition that is causing him to feel sick.

When a cat doesn't eat for 2-3 days, the body starts to draw on its fat reserves for energy, but once this process starts the liver cannot cope with the high levels of fat. Deposits of fat build up in the liver and blocks the bile duct which is responsible for fat metabolism, and the cat then becomes extremely ill and shows overt signs of jaundice. The cat should have immediate veterinary treatment as liver failure is potentially fatal, and a great deal of care and treatment will be required to stop the condition getting worse and to try and bring the body back to a stable level of metabolism.

Advanced liver failure will show as jaundice, which will give him an orange-yellow tinge to the skin of the ears, and in the mucosa of the eyes, nose and mouth and the cat will be extremely dehydrated and feverish.

Diagnosis is confirmed by liver function tests and either a liver tissue biopsy or a needle biopsy.

Treatment consists of instigating a low fat feeding regime, and because the cat may not be wanting to eat the veterinary surgeon will probably insert a small feeding tube through the nose or the mouth, and start a liquidized feeding diet to be administered through a syringe. Liquid meals will be frequent so as not to put the liver under any more stress and this feeding regime will probably last for about 6 to 7 weeks to allow the liver to regain its function and to regenerate. During this time it may be possible to encourage the cat to have a daily meal by mouth, but if the lipidosis was due to stress or depression you will need to take this into account and offer small, aromatic and attractive meals to encourage him to eat again.

In time he will recover his health but he will need ongoing dietary monitoring to ensure that he does not become anorexic again, and if he is obese he will need to be put on a diet for slow weight loss and an exercise programme set up to get him moving a little more.

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