How to Treat Feline Fatty Liver Disease
Fatty liver disease, or hepatic lipidosis, is a serious condition for felines. When a cat becomes afflicted with the disease, its appetite falls off a cliff, and fat deposits start to store up in the liver--causing engorged cells. The treatment of fatty liver disease can vary, and in all cases, a veterinarian should be consulted prior to engaging in any therapy.
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Instructions
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1
Monitor your cat's behavior if it is not eating. It can be dangerous for a cat to not eat for even one day. If the cat refuses to eat after two full days, bring it into the vet.
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2
Get the positive diagnosis of fatty liver disease. You can treat the cat yourself as the disease is not life threatening (so long as instructions are followed), but you must get the right food for the cat from the vet.
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3
Make sure the food provided is calorie-dense. To reverse the process of fatty liver disease, the cat needs dense nutrients that will begin to break down the stored fat in the liver. A good ratio of nutrients is 45 percent protein and 35 percent carbohydrates.
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4
Have the vet install the feeding tube for the cat. This must be performed by the veterinarian, not you. The feeding tube will enter through the stomach lining. Get instructions from the vet as to how to prepare the food and feed the cat.
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5
Blend the food on the highest setting (liquefy). After it's blended, strain the contents through a fine mesh filter.
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6
Remove the cap on the feeding tube. Put the resulting liquid from the blender into the syringe and slowly squeeze 1 cc (cubic centimeter) per minute into your cat's stomach. Make sure the cat is as comfortable as possible so it does not injure itself on the tube.
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Inject between 5 and 10 cc of room temperature tap water into the cat once it is done feeding. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 for the prescribed period of time as specified by your vet. Resume normal feeding after your vet has given you the go-ahead.
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Tips & Warnings
Elevating the cats legs will help ease the food into its stomach via the feeding tube.
Never perform these steps if you are at all unsure of the procedure. A vet can hold a cat overnight or for multiple days to perform this service.
