No Crash Diet For Your Fat Cat - Hepatic Lipidosis

Hepatic lipidosis, also known as fatty liver syndrome, is a common and very serious condition that occurs in fat cats who (for some reason or another) have stopped eating. The disease results from an accumulation of fat in the liver and if not treated during the early stages, can be deadly. Hepatic lipidosis is treatable and cure rates are good if the cat is presented to a veterinarian during the early stages of the disease. However, if not treated, the mortality rate is very high.

Why would a fat cat not be eating?

Bad teeth

Intestinal blockage

Stress - Examples: Moving into a new home, Introducing a new animal into the family, owner goes on vacation

Hairball

Illnesses

These are all good reasons why a cat would stop eating. The most common reason for a cat to stop eating is an upper respiratory infection. Think about it... Cats like their food because they enjoy and are familiar with the smell. So if a cat can’t smell its food, it’s not going to eat. The question is: "What would cause a cat to lose its ability to smell food?" An upper respiratory infection could cause a cat to loose its sense of smell.

So you have a fat cat that stops eating. The body is looking for ways to feed itself and tries to do this by converting stored fat into energy. In order for the fat to be converted into fuel, it must pass through the cat's liver. The liver can’t handle this fatty saturation and liver dysfunction ensues. This doesn’t happen to thin cats. They don’t have enough fat available to mobilize and create this problem.

Many owners do notice that their cat is not eating, but they think, ‘That’s all right, Tiger needs to lose a few pounds. And then after a week or two of no appetite, they start to get worried and finally bring their animal to the veterinarian. If they don’t bring their cat in soon enough, he (or she) is a prime candidate for hepatic lipidosis.

Symptoms associated with hepatic lipidosis include loss of appetite, vomiting, depression, weight loss and lethargy. Some cats develop a yellow coloration of the eyes, ears and mouth. This yellow coloration (particularly of the mucus membranes) is jaundice and usually indicates liver disease and / or red blood cell destruction.

The prognosis for cats with hepatic lipidosis is good if treatment is not delayed. The longer that treatment is delayed, the less likely for recovery. Cats that have underlying diseases (cancer, pancreatitis) are less likely to recover.

How would a veterinarian treat a cat with hepatic lipidosis? The veterinarian would probably hospitalize the cat, and among other treatments, feed it through a tube. After your cat has recovered from hepatic lipidosis or before your fat cat gets hepatic lipidosis, you should put your cat on a veterinarian-recommended low-calorie diet. Exercise is an important factor in weight loss so it is important to encourage exercise via playtime with you. Carefully monitoring your cat’s food intake in times of stress (for example, the addition of a new pet) can be crucial in preventing mortality due to hepatic lipidosis.

Preventing obesity is the best way to prevent hepatic lipidosis. Regular meals should be given and free-choice feeding should be avoided. Obese cats should be placed on a special diet food and monitored closely by your veterinarian. By slimming Tiger down, you could save him from hepatic lipidosis and other life-threatening diseases related to cat obesity.