Liver Failure in Cats

The liver is the most important organ in the body that helps in digestion, biosynthesis, energy metabolism, removal of waste and immune regulation. It not only regulates healthy chemicals that body requires, but also produces different blood clotting factors. Since there is a direct blood supply from the gut to the liver, the liver is highly vulnerable to infections or injuries due to different toxic substances. Liver failure is one of the most severe health problems that a cat can suffer from. The disease shuts down different functions performed by the liver and can hence lead to serious illness and even death in almost all cat breeds.

Feline liver failure is a common cat disease which is linked with other feline diseases like hepatic lipidosis or fatty liver syndrome and diabetes mellitus, usually observed in overweight, older cats and in cats that might have experienced high-stress situations like surgery or abrupt changes in their home life. It is also closely related with other diseases like diabetes, heart failure, feline pancreatitis, etc. and hence can be misdiagnosed unless proper tests are conducted to identify it.

Causes For Liver Failure in Cats
Toxic substances, chemicals, heat stoke, etc. are some possible causes of cat liver failure. Fatty liver disease, hyperthyroidism or acute circulatory failure are also responsible for this disorder. One of the main cause of liver failure is sudden, massive hepatic necrosis, i.e. tissue death in the liver. Poor flow of fluids in the liver and the surrounding tissues, hypoxia, and loss of liver enzymes can impair the liver function and will ultimately lead to complete organ failure. Liver failure in cats is also caused due to extensive metabolic disorders in protein synthesis, glucose absorption, and abnormalities in the metabolic detoxification process, which can eventually lead to death.

Symptoms of Liver Failure in Cats
Feline liver failure reduces the blood glucose, potassium and cholesterol levels in the body. Though liver problems are difficult to detect initially, some of the symptoms that you might observe in the cat are as follows:

• Loss of appetite
• Vomiting and diarrhea in cats
• Weight loss
• Yellowing of eyes, ears and gums (jaundice)
• Pale gray feces and orange urine
• Abdominal swelling
• Seizures
• Being lethargic and depressed

Diagnosis and Treatment
A complete blood workup, i.e. hematology, biochemistry analysis, and urine analysis are required to diagnose liver failure in cats. X-rays, ultrasound tests, and a liver biopsy (the removal and analysis of affected tissue) have to be conducted to indicate enlarged liver, other hepatic abnormalities, and how serious the illness can be.

Hospitalization is essential for curing cat liver failure. Fluids and electrolytes, colloid replacements, and oxygen supplementation are the main aspects of the treatment. Catheter feeding is suggested in severe cases and enteric feeding, i.e. feeding directly into the intestines is recommended for stable cases. Medications for liver failure like antiemetics, hepatic encephalopathy drugs, hepatoprotectants, coagulopathy drugs, and antioxidants can be given to the sick cat but only under the veterinarian's supervision. Along with this, a protein rich diet with additional vitamin E and K supplements is also advised.

Liver failure in cats can be hard to diagnose as its signs are quite similar to other feline diseases, and if detected late in the progression of the disease, can be difficult to cure. Hence, it is necessary to maintain a periodic schedule of checkups and visits to the veterinarian for your cat, especially if it has a history of health problems, faced any high-stress situations or is overweight.