Fatty Liver Disease in Cats

Fatty liver disease in cats is also known as feline hepatic lipidosis. As the name suggests, the disease is characterized by the accumulation of fats or lipids in the liver tissues. It is a common cat health problem found in older and obese cats, across all cat breeds. Feline fatty liver disease is considered as idiopathic, as no accurate causes have been detected so far. However, many factors are supposed to play an important role in the development of the disease. The condition has always been observed to present itself with a sudden loss of appetite in cats. In a situation where the cats suddenly stop eating for a couple of days, the body transports more and more fats to the liver for processing in order to obtain energy. But, the liver is not able to process all the fats or lipids into lipoprotein and as a result, a large amount of fat accumulates in the liver. This condition can eventually cause liver failure and consequent death of the affected cats.

Causes of Feline Fatty Liver disease
Fatty liver disease in cats is one of the most common feline liver diseases. No exact causes of this disease have been identified till now. But, it has been suspected that some inherent error in protein and fat metabolism can cause the condition. Diseases like diabetes mellitus and Cushing's syndrome are also associated with this feline liver disease. Sometimes toxic substances and parasites like ascardis, tapeworm cysts, and flukes can also affect the liver. Even stress produced by illness, surgery, and changes in the environment, like moving to a new place, can trigger sudden loss of appetite in cats, which in turn can lead to fatty liver disease.

Symptoms of Fatty Liver Disease
Feline fatty liver disease is always accompanied by anorexia or loss of appetite. The affected cats may fail to eat for several days in such a situation. However, it is not known properly whether fatty liver disease causes lack of appetite or not eating for several days causes fatty liver disease. Loss of appetite is also accompanied by weight loss, lethargy, depression, and vomiting in the early stage of the disease. As the disease progresses slowly, the cats may experience some other symptoms like jaundice, seizures, drooling, excessive salivation, and nausea. These conditions can eventually lead to stupor and even coma. Sometimes, fatty liver disease can cause distention of the lower abdomen due to accumulation of fluid.

Diagnosis and Treatment
Diagnosis of fatty liver disease usually starts with a detailed study of the fatty liver symptoms, followed by a blood test performed for detecting the level of liver enzymes. A confirmed diagnosis, however requires liver biopsy. Treatment for feline fatty liver disease involves a diet therapy with cat food high in protein and calories. Veterinarians usually resort to forced feeding with the help of a feeding tube inserted into the stomach or esophagus through the nose. Forced feeding can last from two to six weeks depending on the time period taken by the cat to eat properly on its own. As the disease can cause dehydration, administration of fluid and electrolytes supplementation may be required. Vitamin K supplements are also required along with dietary supplements like arginine, taurine and carnitine.

Fatty liver disease in cats is reversible, if detected and treated in the early stage. To prevent the occurrence of the disease, a lot of care and precaution is required. It is essential to avoid overfeeding of cats and encourage lots of physical activities to reduce the chances of obesity, which is often found to be associated with fatty liver disease. Also important is to closely monitor any change in cat behavior, particularly related to eating habits to ensure prompt diagnosis and treatment.