Mary Allen
One of the most common causes of fatty liver in cats is obesity. Due to a special feature of the metabolism, fatty liver occurs above all when an overweight cat suddenly has nothing to eat.
The risk of fatty liver is particularly high if a cat is already overweight and then suddenly eats too little – be it because its owner puts it on a radical diet against its better judgment, does not get any food for other reasons, or suffers from loss of appetite.
Causes of Fatty Liver
Also known as hepatic lipidosis, fatty liver occurs when a cat’s organism mobilizes the body’s fat reserves due to a lack of food. The fat metabolism of the liver gets out of balance after just a few days. Since cats lack certain enzymes, the fat activated by the lack of food cannot be used as a source of energy. Instead, the fats are stored in the liver cells and gradually destroy them until the liver is no longer able to function and liver failure occurs.
Since the cat becomes increasingly apathetic due to the fatty liver and has hardly any appetite, a vicious circle can arise in which the fatty liver progresses even faster due to the lack of food. If the liver disease is detected in time and the cat is treated by the vet, the first step in therapy is usually force-feeding by infusion or tube.
Beware of Loss of Appetite
There can be many reasons why a cat suddenly stops eating or eats too little. It can be gastroenteritis, a tumor, a disease of the pancreas, diabetes mellitus, a respiratory infection, or simply food that the velvet paw does not like. If the cat no longer eats properly, extreme caution is required, especially with overweight animals. It is best to have your cat’s liver values checked by a veterinarian so that any fatty liver can be identified and treated in good time.