Fatty liver disease is one of the most serious and common liver diseases in cats. Owners should not be indifferent but need to understand the causes, symptoms, and treatments to protect their beloved cats from this disease. If you're still confused and don't know where to find information, don't miss the article below. Petncute.com will help you answer everything you need to know:
1. What is fatty liver disease in cats?
The liver plays a crucial role in metabolic processes, emulsifying fats, and producing clotting factors. Additionally, it also performs many complex functions such as protein synthesis and detoxifying the body. Thus, there's no way to compensate for the losses in a cat's body when the liver is weakened.
Especially in times when a cat is malnourished or starving, its body will transfer fat from reserves to the liver, converting it into lipoproteins to generate energy. However, a cat's body cannot metabolize a large amount of reserved fat at once, leading to ineffective fat processing, which results in fatty liver disease. This amount of fat gradually turns the liver yellow and causes it to swell. Due to the liver's decreased ability to process red blood cells, yellow pigments are released into the blood, causing jaundice. If not treated promptly, complications can occur, and the cat might even die.
Explanation: What is fatty liver disease in cats?
Moreover, cats are known to be carnivores, so a diet lacking in protein or an inability to process protein can easily lead to malnutrition. Prolonged anorexia and severe stress are closely related to hormonal imbalances, affecting the fat metabolism in the liver. Cats with fatty liver disease often exhibit the following symptoms:
Prolonged lack of appetite lasting several days, even weeksRapid weight lossVomitingDiarrheaConstipationMuscle wastingLethargy, unwillingness to do anythingJaundiceYellowing of the eyesConstant drooling2. Diagnosing fatty liver disease in cats
To accurately diagnose whether a cat has fatty liver disease, owners need to note daily signs so that the veterinarian can use them to determine the cause. The vet will then conduct tests, which include blood analysis, biochemistry, and urinalysis.
Common laboratory tests will include a complete blood count, biochemical profile, and urinalysis. The test results will determine whether the cat's red blood cells are abnormal in size or have hemolysis. Additionally, if results show elevated enzyme levels or high alkaline phosphatase, these might be reasons the cat has fatty liver disease.
Diagnosing fatty liver disease in cats
Next, the biochemical profile will precisely measure liver enzyme levels and bilirubin levels to see if they are abnormally high. Since the liver plays an essential role in blood clotting processes, abnormalities related to clotting can also be a sign of fatty liver disease in cats.
For a smooth testing and diagnosis process, the veterinarian will use X-ray and ultrasound to examine the abdominal area to check if the cat's liver has abnormal growth. Specifically, the vet may need to take a liver tissue sample through biopsy or needle aspiration and run tests to determine if the fat in the liver is beyond permissible levels.
3. Treating fatty liver disease in cats
Below are some notes and small tips for caring for cats with fatty liver disease. Keep them in mind and apply right away to help your cat recover quickly:
3.1. Take the cat to the nearest veterinary clinic for examination
Early diagnosis and treatment are the “keys” to help the cat recover quickly. Therefore, if you notice signs of fatty liver disease in your cat, you should take it to the nearest veterinary clinic for timely examination and intervention. To help your cat recover quickly, you need to strictly follow the veterinarian's instructions on treatment, feeding, and care.
Early diagnosis and treatment are the "keys" to help the cat recover quickly.
In cases where the cat's fatty liver disease condition worsens, the vet will devise a specialized treatment plan, such as using fluid therapy to prevent exhaustion, fluid imbalance, and electrolyte deficiencies. At the same time, the vet will also supplement the cat with useful vitamins like B complex, cobalamin, and thiamine.
3.2. Build a reasonable diet
When fatty liver disease becomes severe, cats will show signs of fatigue, sluggishness, and anorexia. Prolonged conditions like these will further weaken your cat, allowing harmful cells to grow and spread to other internal organs. Therefore, vets often advise feeding cats adequately and regularly. For those that are very weak, the vet might use injections or feeding tubes to facilitate easier eating and drinking. This method is usually applied for a few weeks until the cat can eat and drink on its own again.
While feeding your cat, note to prepare meals with a liquid and smooth consistency, which are easy to swallow and digest. If you're still unsure about choosing the right food, you can seek advice from your vet. They will help you create a menu based on your cat's nutritional needs, physical condition, and age. Essential nutrients to consider include L-carnitine, taurine, vitamin E, protein, and more.
Cats often become anorexic, tired, and lethargic when they have fatty liver disease.
After your cat has fully recovered, you can supplement their diet with other nutritious foods to restore the nutrients lost during the recovery phase. You can also choose fresh pate products with clear nutritional content to avoid excessive fat intake and imbalance in their diet. To meet this demand, petncute.com has launched two lines of delicious fresh pate for cats: Tasty for cats over 3 months old (including “Bò Vô Miệng,” “Búp-phê Hải Sản,” “Cá Ngừ Đại Ca,” “Gà Cá Hợp Lực,” “Gà Vỗ Béo”) and Protector for cats under 3 months old (including “Cá Biển Cả,” “Cá Hồi Bụng Béo,” “Cá Sông Suối,” “Gà Cá Dưỡng Nhan,” “Gà Tí Nị,” “Tôm Cá Nhất Thể”).
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