Managing hepatic lipidosis in cats — the most common liver disease in cats requiring urgent nutritional support.
Hepatic lipidosis causes severe acute welfare impairment through liver failure and its consequences. Affected cats are profoundly unwell — jaundiced, nauseous, depressed, and refusing all food. Hepatic encephalopathy develops in severe cases, causing disorientation, seizures, and coma. Without aggressive intervention, the condition is fatal.
The underlying trigger for anorexia must be identified and treated alongside the liver disease. Common triggers include stress (from environmental change, new animals, or owner absence), painful dental disease, respiratory infection, or systemic illness. Failing to address the underlying cause means the cat may relapse even after the lipidosis is resolved.
Feeding tube placement (naso-oesophageal, oesophagostomy, or gastrostomy tube) allows reliable delivery of adequate calories without stressing the anorexic cat. Most cats accept tube feeding well after initial placement. The dramatic welfare improvement with adequate caloric delivery — returning appetite, reducing jaundice, improving mentation — is one of the most rewarding responses in feline medicine.