Pansteatitis Symptoms in Cats

Pansteatitis, sometimes called yellow fat disease, is a skin disease that develops as a result of excessive unsaturated fatty acids and a severe deficiency of Vitamin E simultaneously occurring in a cat's system. The resulting fatty deposits potentially can become quite painful to your cat when the deposits become inflamed. Poor homemade diets and/or frequent consumption of red tuna are two suspected causes of pansteatitis. Symptoms include anorexia, fever, lethargy, formation of lumps under the skin and hypersensitivity either when moving or being handled.

Anorexia

The term "anorexia" refers to loss of appetite and loss of either the desire or the ability to eat. In many cases, anorexia is the first sign something is wrong with your cat and frequently accompanies diseases of the digestive system, kidneys, the skin and other organs. Anorexia can also be triggered by pain. The pet parent should take her cat to the veterinarian as soon as anorexia presents itself as it usually means an underlying disease has progressed through the cat's system to the point where she loses interest in eating.

Fever

Fever is an abnormally high body temperature resulting from certain internal bodily actions triggered by the invasion of viruses or bacteria. The infectious agents are destroyed by the increase in body temperature. Fever can also be triggered by an inflammation such as pansteatitis.

Hypersensitivity and Pain

Pain develops from the tissue inflammation associated with pansteatitis. The inflamed fatty deposits that are spread underneath the skin make it difficult for your cat to move or to be handled without experiencing pain. The cat parent may begin to notice her cat moving more gingerly or showing a reluctance to move in general and avoidance of physical contact.

Lethargy and General Malaise

Lethargy is characterized by a lack of interest in exercise or activity of any kind that can be triggered by a chronic inflammation such as pansteatitis. Its existence can signal the presence of a life-threatening illness. Consult your veterinarian immediately if your cat's lethargy persists.

Solid Fatty Lumps Underneath the Skin

Cats with pansteatitis develop inflamed yellow, fatty deposits underneath their skin that can be painful to the touch. Any lumps that appear under your cat's skin should be examined by your veterinarian right away; a biopsy will most likely be performed to determine the composition of the lump and to confirm what kind of cells are present and whether the lump is malignant.

References

• Guide to Cat Symptoms
• Pansteatitis in Cats Fed Fish-based Commercial Foods; Neil Cropper; The Canadian Veterinarian Journal; 1980