FELINE MEDICINE
Article reprinted with permission of DVM360 – October 01, 2011
DVM360 MAGAZINE is a copyrighted publication of Advanstar.
Communications inc. All rights reserved
By Lilian Cornejo, DVM, DACVIM
CVC IN SAN DIEGO PROCEEDINGS
Hepatic Lipidosis
Maximising a Successful Outcome
Feline hepatic lipidosis is the most commonly encountered
liver disease in cats, and results from accumulation of fat
within the majority of hepatocytes.
The end result is severe intrahepatic cholestasis which
leads to a rapid decline in liver function. Many affected
cats are middle-aged or older. Overweight cats that
become anorectic are particularly at risk. Stressful
events or another systemic disease that causes the
cat to stop eating are common precipitating factors.
Studies have documented a concurrent or inciting
disease in 50-95% of cases. Common concurrent
illnesses include pancreatitis, cholangiohepatitis,
inflammatory bowel disease, extrahepatic bile duct
obstruction, and neoplasia. However, any illness or
event that causes a prolonged lack of food intake can
put cats at risk for developing HL, even those that are
not overweight.
The exact cause of HL is unknown. Catabolism due to
inadequate caloric intake appears to play a central role
in the development of the disease. Factors theorised
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