Cat with Hepatic Lipidosis that is eating

I looked around & read some thread about other people experience with Hepatic Lipidosis, but I am curious to know if anyone has ever had experience with a cat that was eating? We currently have a cat at the shelter that was diagnosed with hipatic Lipidosis. Here are her blood values.

ALP was 210 Normal is 10 - 90
ALT 643 Normal is 20 - 100
T Billirubin 5.5 Normal is 0.1 - 0.6

These seem super bad, but this cat is eating very well. She was found on the street already very thin. She was found in a bad area of town and it looks like her H.L. is from starvation. We have been giving her sub-q & she is on some medication for upper respiritory. She is eating a bowl full of kitten chow just about every day. In addition we have given her chicken baby food as she really likes it.

I guess my two main questions are, is the fact that she is eating a good sign that she will be able to overcome this? and how long does it take for them to start to show signs of improvement? One more, did anyone use KMR to help with the H.L.? When she first came in I mixed some KMR & CBF together for her & she went to town. She loved it & if that would help her we can certainly feed it too her. I just don't want to give her something that is too rich. At this point I want to arm myself with knowledge because we are watching her carefully trying to decide at what point we should let her go. We are no kill, but if a vet tells us she is suffering we will make that decision. I just don't want to give up on her too soon. She just seems like a fighter, I just wish I had a spare room to put her in cause I would take her home.

Hi Angie, I don't have any answers but want to say Hurray for you! and the shelter for not giving up on this cat! she sounds like a real survivor and I will be watching this thread with great interest.

You shelter people are my heros.

I would be quite confident if she is eating that she will overcome it. Keep it up with the subQ fluids and try to get her to eat as much as she possibly will. Hills AD food is best because it has the highest amount of calories in it, so she has to eat less to get more.

What colour is her skin? yellow at all? is she vomiting?

I would get her on the hills AD ASAP and get as much into her as possible and check her values again in a week....

EDIT: I would also recommend that you weigh her everyday. If her weight is going down she is not getting enough and she won't get any better. If it is maintaining (or going up) she is on the road to recovery, it's pretty cut an dried that way with FHL

Her skin is super yellow. She is vomiting some what, but not all the time. Apparently yesterday she had pee all over her cage. I know we are giving her hills AD wet food, but she really doesn't want to eat it. She likes her dry food.

by the sounds of it she's pretty bad. Any food you can get in her will work if she won't eat the hills AD, but what she'll eat on her own (amazing that she'll eat at all) may not be enough. They only way you'll really know is to weigh her daily. To get over HL she has to intake almost a full 12 oz can of wet food a day.... preferably hills AD.

Can you give her anti-nausea meds? This will increase her appetite more and help her keep the food down longer.

Talking about this really makes me want to foster her. The problem is that I work & would not be able to bring her to work with me, but being a small shelter she would probably be getting more consistant care at my house. Oh I just don't know??? I want her to have a real chance, but I have my kitties to think about too.

*sigh* I know what you're going through, I've had one cat with full HL. Took her 4 weeks of force feeding hills AD coupled with anti-nausea meds to get her eating again. Then another 2 weeks of her eating on her own before her enzyme levels went down and she started to regain weight.... and that was a short battle as far as HL goes.

Now I am battling a cat that has NO signs of HL, but won't eat. I'm using cyproheptadine as an appetite stimulant, about 20 minutes after giving her this pill she will eat half a can of hills AD (she is only 5 lbs, so that's a lot of food). I'm hoping5 or 6 days of this will kick start her body and get her to eat again.

An appetite stimulant may be something to try with this kitty, They generally don't work on cats that outright refuse to eat, but may get her to eat the hills......... worth a shot?

Well I will have some work to do when I go home tonight. I have decided to take her home & do my best to give her the best possible shot. The shelter will provide everything I need as far as food & medications. I just need to provide the space & the love. I have never done this before, but she needs me & I just can't say no to her.

Hopefully you won't need to force feed. I have extensive experience with cats that won't eat, with force feeding and with HL I will try to get some tips together and PM you my exact reccomendations....

Originally Posted by lmunsie

Hopefully you won't need to force feed. I have extensive experience with cats that won't eat, with force feeding and with HL

I will try to get some tips together and PM you my exact reccomendations....

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Thank you so much for your help. I am so nervous about doing this, but I know it is the right thing to do. She deserves the chance her owners didn't give her. (she is front paw declawed & found outside skinny as a rail)

That is strange. Usually the #1 advice for kitties with hepatic lipidosis is food, food, food. I don't think I've ever seen a case where they were eating, at least in the amount they should. It always came down to force feeding or even e-tube feeding.

Is he on IV fluids, or at least sub-qs? I see that you're going to take the little girl home for her care ( ), but what are her "go home instructions". What meds is she on?

When was that labwork run? Has it been rechecked to see if her liver values are coming back down? If she's still really yellow that doesn't sound like a good sign... But the eating is definitely a good thing!

YAY! I'm glad you're taking her home. Please keep us updated. Wouldn't you like to strangle whoever first had her toes amputated, then dumped her. I would.

Keep us updated on the little dear. What's her name?

Her name is Tiger. I will be taking her home tonight. She has an appointment on Saturday for a recheck of her values. This will give me a chance to talk to the vet about her and see what he has to say. When we first got her she spent 2 -3 days in the vets office on IV fluids. Now she is getting sub-q daily. I will have a better idea of how much she is eating once I have her at home. Since she will be in the bathroom by herself it will be easy to monitor. It will also be nice that she is being monitored by one person instead of 6 - 7 differnt people.

Do you have a picture of Tiger? It helps me send good thoughts and vibes when I know what the cattie looks like!

So glad you are taking Tiger home to help her! Sending tons of good vibes her way

No pictures yet, but I will try to get some up this weekend. She is a cute tabbie, tortie. She has a head tilt in addition to the H.L. I am looking forward to talking to the vet on Saturday to find out what he thinks about that.

When I got to the shelter last night I was told she hadn't been eating much for the last 2 days. I also know that she was not given sub-q on Tuesday. So it was with much apprehension that I took her home. I was very concerned last night as she didn't really want to eat anything I offered to her. I checked her hydration & she was terribly dehydrated. So I gave her 100 cc sub-q. She just wanted to lay there. I'm not sure if it was the car ride, or the dehydration but she just did not look good. Then this morning, I opened the door to the bathrorom to find her sitting up & ready for me to visit her. Over night she had used the litter box for #1 & #2. She was talking to me & rubbing on me. Best of all she ate a little. Still not enough, but it was a step in the right direction. I gave her another 100 CC sub -q & spent a little more time with her. When she was done with attention she laid down in her bed & made her self comfortable. So I am still gaurded about her condition, but I am hoping that the vet may be able to help me to get her to eat more. I am sure a trip to the vet will mean a slight set back, but she needs to go.

Originally Posted by Rang_27

When I got to the shelter last night I was told she hadn't been eating much for the last 2 days. I also know that she was not given sub-q on Tuesday. So it was with much apprehension that I took her home. I was very concerned last night as she didn't really want to eat anything I offered to her. I checked her hydration & she was terribly dehydrated. So I gave her 100 cc sub-q. She just wanted to lay there. I'm not sure if it was the car ride, or the dehydration but she just did not look good. Then this morning, I opened the door to the bathrorom to find her sitting up & ready for me to visit her. Over night she had used the litter box for #1 & #2. She was talking to me & rubbing on me. Best of all she ate a little. Still not enough, but it was a step in the right direction. I gave her another 100 CC sub -q & spent a little more time with her. When she was done with attention she laid down in her bed & made her self comfortable. So I am still gaurded about her condition, but I am hoping that the vet may be able to help me to get her to eat more. I am sure a trip to the vet will mean a slight set back, but she needs to go.

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You might have to start force feeding her a bit, encourage her to eat on her own, but it sounds like she isn't eating as much as she needs