Fatty Liver

Recently the Internal Medicine service has seen a few cases of a disease called hepatic lipidosis, more commonly known as fatty liver. It's much more common in cats, but it can happen in lots of animals, including dogs, cows, and people. Birds too. (Can you say "foie gras")? Although it can be completely reversed, if not caught in time, it can be fatal.

Almost all cases of fatty liver disease in cats are caused by decreased caloric intake. It doesn't matter why they stop eating. It could be another disease has made them ill, another cat has moved into the house and made them mad, the neighbors got a new dog, the arrival of a new child at home, a diet change by the owners, anything. If they get mad or ill and don't eat enough, they'll get fatty liver. Fat begins to accumulate in the liver. Eventually, the liver stops working, this makes the cat feel sick, and they eat less, making the disease worse. It's a vicious cycle.

The treatment is food. Food, in this case, is the 'drug' that will reverse the condition.

Even if you fix the initial problem, many cats are so sick by then that they won't eat. Fortunately, cats tolerate feeding tubes very well. These are tubes placed into the esophagus or stomach that allow us to give the cat enough food to reverse the liver disease even if they don't voluntarily eat. It may sound a little weird at first, but it works! And most cats are much more tolerant of the tubes than you might think.

So if you are thinking of changing your cat's diet, or if your cat has stopped eating, or if you have any new event in your cat's life that may effect his or her appetite, talk to your veterinarian. Signs to look for that may indicate liver disease (including fatty liver) are:

1. Jaundice (a yellowish color to the mucous membranes)
2. Vomiting
3. Decreased appetite
4. Weight loss
5. Lethargy
6. If severe, neurologic signs (e.g., seizures, blindness, drooling)

Unfortunately, there are many other diseases that cause these signs and several tests (e.g., blood tests, ultrasound, etc.) are needed to confirm the suspicion of fatty liver.

Talk to your vet, especially if your cat's ears or mucous membranes are yellow, like the kitty below!


Here's some other information about fatty liver:

1. Hepatic Lipidosis Information at the ACVIM website
2. Hepatic Lipidosis at VeterinaryPartner.com
3. A very typical story
4. An online support group for feline nutritional support