Fatty liver is also called hepatic lipisosis. In hepatic lipidosis, something makes your kitty stop eating – from a virus, to vaccination, to stress to an illness. When cats don’t eat, their liver says it’s not a problem and brings fat from the body into the liver for calories. This makes the kitty nauseous, which makes him//her not eat – it’s a vicious cycle – worse in overweight kitties. These cats get yellow eyes, the inside of their ears are yellow and their urine turns really dark yellow-orange – they are jaundiced and their bilirubin will be high in their blood tests. Bilirubin is a breakdown product of the bile – gall bladder function – all conducted through the liver.
How do we cure fatty liver? It’s a long process! Some super sweet cats will let their parents syringe feed them without any problems. Some cats are not so amenable and do best with a feeding tube – then they can be fed without a fight! Fluid therapy is also the base of fatty liver treatment – flush the liver out! Herbs, acupuncture, massage therapy and homeopathy all help tremendously to get a kitty feeling better and back to eating.