My baby has fatty liver.

Hello.

First of all, I'm sorry for my english because I'm latin ... But I really need to share this.

Two weeks ago my Noona (with a little overweight, 4 years old) vomited two really big hairballs but she seemed fine. Next day she did not eat anything (just drinking water) and she started to vomited white foam (?).

I took her to the nearest ER vet and she gave me famotidine and special food for hairballs. She told me to go home and if she didn't eat, bring her next day. I took her back the same day because she kept vomiting and not eating. 

They left her there for 3 days and did her a blood test (some hepatic enzymes were high, but nothing too high). They told me that It could be gastritis, then Cholangiohepatitis, hepatitis, fatty liver... 

I went crazy on google searching for any clue. I read about the feeding tube and I ask for it. They keept insisting to try to feed her by force in the mouth. My baby looked so depressed and her hair was falling down really bad. 

So, I took her and we went to a feline veterinary.

Damn, It was another world for my baby. At day one they put her on the feeding tube and her hair looked so shiny, she started to purring me as soon as she saw me. 

Lesson 1: find the right vet. 

They did a pancreatitis test, an ultrasound, a urinalysis and another blood test. It all seems to be fatty liver. 

So they kept her there for 3 days and she sent us home with the feeding tube and some meds. I was so so afraid of doing something wrong. I didn't sleep the first night. 

We are now on our 4th day at home. No, is not easy feeding her every 4 hours and be so afraid all the time.. I feel so tired, lonely and emotional. Everything affects me so much. But I need as much help as i can receive.

So I have a few questions for people who can help me, please.

1. On day 2, she tried to eat on her own but she ate a few of her food. So the vet told me to buy kitten food. And... nothing. She doesn't want to eat. What can I do to help her?

2. In the beginning, the tube always remained with water even when I did not pass anything. Now the tube remains in the vacuum, as if sucking the water that is put after the meal. I took her to the vet and  she checked the tube, finding it normal. She told me that it was normal. But i'm still so afraid. Is it normal? Sometimes there's water on it, she moves and the water dissapear. As if is it sucked. My cat is still in good mood and normal, does not cough, or burp, or anything.

3. I have to feed her every four hours. But now I have to go back to work. Is it okay if one of those meals I give her 6 hours later?

4. How long will it take, approximately, to eat again on her own?

5. Why did she develop fatty liver so fast? Was it because of the gastritis because of the hairballs? Can cats get fatty liver if they stop eating only one day?

Thank you again for reading me, and sorry for my english. 

I am so sorry about your Noona.  You were correct in taking her to feline veterinary hospital and having the feeding tube put in.  This probably saved her life.  Cats can develop fatty liver in 36-48 hours with insufficient calories or not eating.  Fatty Liver is very serious.  There is a lot of good information on www.ibdkitties.net.  On this site, go to "Organs", then "Liver" then 'Fatty Liver".    This site was helpful with my own IBD kitties, one of whom had fatty liver.

As for the feeding tube, prior to any feedings or medications, ALWAYS flush the tube with 10 ml of water and watch for any signs of nausea, coughing or vomiting.  If none of these signs are seen, you can proceed.  Then when you are done feeding, ALWAYS flush the tube with 10 ml of water to prevent clogging.  If the tube ever clogs, you can try to flush it out with 5-10 ml of regular Coca-Cola through the tube.  Let the soda sit in the tube for several minutes.

You can try offering warmed baby food chicken or warmed kitten food FIRST to try to get Noona to eat on her own.  If she will not eat, you then have to use the tube.  It may take several days or so before she feels well enough for her to eat on her own.  The medications the Vet gave you for Noona have to reach a "therapeutic effect" first.

While feeding every 4 hours is ideal, when you have to feed in 6 hours, I would syringe the food in very slowly so as not to overload the (empty) stomach too fast.  Warm the food slurry (luck warm) in order to reduce nausea and ensure that the slurry will pass through the tube easily.  Feed over 20-30 minutes slowly.

Feeding a sick cat via a feeding tube is scary at first, but with practice and experience, you will develop confidence.  There are lots of knowledgeable and caring people on this site who can help you.  No need to apologize for your English--your English is very good!  I wish my Spanish was half as good as your English.

One of my cats was on a feeding tube for fatty liver.  He had it for about a month.  Don't be concerned about when he starts eating on his own it may be awhile.  He is getting everything he needs through the tube.  Recovery time is different for each kitty.

I was feeding 4 times a day.  At the time I was working 3 night shifts of 12 hours so he went more than 6 hours between feeding.  Do the best that you can, that is all any of us can do.

babiesmom5 said:

 
While feeding every 4 hours is ideal, when you have to feed in 6 hours, I would syringe the food in very slowly so as not to overload the (empty) stomach too fast.  Warm the food slurry (luck warm) in order to reduce nausea and ensure that the slurry will pass through the tube easily.  Feed over 20-30 minutes slowly.

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OMG, that happened to me today. I was so worried for the 6 hours gap that I gave her the first flush of water too fast and she vomited. Then I waited a few minutes and started all the process again. Thank God everything went well.

By the vet recommendation, I'm giving her 1 ml/1 minute (40 ml each time). It takes me forever, but it is worth listening her purring when I'm feeding her.

Thank you for all the advices, I really apreciate it.

Denice said:

 
One of my cats was on a feeding tube for fatty liver.  He had it for about a month.  Don't be concerned about when he starts eating on his own it may be awhile.  He is getting everything he needs through the tube.  Recovery time is different for each kitty.

I was feeding 4 times a day.  At the time I was working 3 night shifts of 12 hours so he went more than 6 hours between feeding.  Do the best that you can, that is all any of us can do.

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Thank you. I was really starting to worry about all the time that it's taking her to eat again on her own.

The feeding rate of 1 ml / 1 minute is correct.  You might have a clock or watch with a second hand nearby to gauge your syringe flow of 1 ml/ 1 minute.  This is helpful, especially at first till you get used to it.  Also, to help your cat relax during feedings, put her on a soft blanket or furry pad on your lap.  Sometimes they even go to sleep while you are feeding.  Don't worry, you will get very proficient with practice--and your kitty will get stronger each day.