Is liver disease curable in cats?
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It depends on what kind of liver disease, how well the cat responds to therapy and how well you are able to care for her at home. The most common cause of liver failure in cats is idiopathic hepatic lipidosis. Infectious diseases that involve the liver include feline infectious peritonitis and toxoplasmosis. Feline leukemia and cancers that begin in the liver or spread there from other locations are other causes of liver insufficiency.
Hepatic Lipidosis is the most common metabolic cause of liver failure. This syndrome occurs when a cat has a sustained loss of appetite and stops eating. With starvation, fat accumulates in liver cells. The liver becomes yellow, greasy, and enlarged. Early intensive fluid replacement and forced feeding offer the best chance for reversing the process. Cats who receive early and aggressive nutritional support, such as the placement of feeding tubes, have a 90 percent chance of survival. If the cat does not get this quick, aggressive treatment, the survival rate goes down to 10 to 15 percent.
Cholangiohepatitis is the second most common liver disease of cats. This disease involves inflammation of the liver and the bile ducts. Bile is important in managing fats and collecting toxins to be removed from the blood. When bacteria from the duodenum (small intestine) come up the bile duct, they can gain access to the gallbladder and the liver. This liver infection is often associated with inflammatory bowel disease and/or pancreatitis.
Treatment requires supportive care, including fluids and nutritional support-maybe even a feeding tube placed by your veterinarian. Antibiotics are important, as this is a bacterial infection. Antibiotics may be needed for three to six months.
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