Diet For Cats With Hepatic Lipidosis

Hepatic lipidosis hl the most common acquired and potentially lethal feline liver disease is a multifactorial syndrome.

Diet for cats with hepatic lipidosis.

Often known by the laymen s term fatty liver this disease occurs when cats especially obese cats go without food for a few days. Symptoms of liver disease in cats. The typical cat with hepatic lipidosis has recently lost a significant amount of body weight has a poor appetite and is middle aged and overweight. The liver s main functions include protein synthesis the production of chemicals necessary for digestion and the detoxification of the body.

Unfortunately a frequently diagnosed ailment called hepatic lipidosis can severely impair the health and proper functioning of a cat s liver and if not promptly reversed can be fatal. This condition also known as fatty liver syndrome occurs when triglycerides accumulate within the liver cells and obstruct the organ s function. If the cat is unwilling to eat anything a feeding tube should be placed to avoid a negative energy state and the development or worsening of hepatic lipidosis fatty liver syndrome. Swelling of the abdomen.

While we don t see this as a primary condition in dogs or humans it s not necessarily a disease specific to cats which are obligate carnivores either. For all we know of the liver s function we are still unaware of the exact mechanism by which triglycerides deposit within the hepatocytes of a feline hepatic lipidosis fhl case. Liver diet for cats. Hepatic lipidosis in cats.

If your cat was just diagnosed with hepatic lipidosis fear not. Liver diseases in cats can be caused by cancer hepatic lipidosis and toxic hepatopathy. In most cases a primary disease process causing anorexia sets the stage for hl in overconditioned cats. If hepatic encephalopathy is present a diet with low protein levels can help reduce the production of ammonia a by product of protein digestion.

Hepatic lipidosis known commonly as fatty liver is one of the most common severe feline liver diseases in cats. If your cat is not eating consult your veterinarian immediately. While it sounds scary hepatic lipidosis simply means that there is inappropriate fat infiltration into the liver.