64 A Fatty Situation
Olivia Ancell; Drew Gilman; and Michaela Harshfield
A Fatty Situation: The Science Behind Liver Disease
What is hepatic lipidosis?
Learning Objectives
We know fat cats are at high risk of severe illness. However, they usually seem happy and healthy. So what happens?
After this lesson, you will be able to:
- describe the importance of the liver, and the three main functions it performs.
- explain how and why hepatic lipidosis develops
- identify symptoms of hepatic lipidosis symptoms and the animals prone to developing it
- identify the risks if hepatic lipidosis goes untreated
- follow simple treatment plans and preventative measures of hepatic lipidosis
Lesson
The liver, a silent guardian, tirelessly filters our lives, a true testament to the intricate beauty of the body. There is an endless list of what the liver does for the body, and is on the list of the top 5 coolest organs. The important functions of the liver include storing nutrients important for the body, helping control metabolism, and producing bile with the help of the gallbladder.
Nutrients that are stored in the liver would be carbohydrates, fats, and fat soluble vitamins (vitamin A, D, E, and K). These nutrients can be released into the body when the body signals that there is a lack of it in other tissues to help maintain homeostasis (balance). To help maintain metabolism, the liver can help break down nutrients that have been consumed. It will excrete waste products, but keep important nutrients that the body needs. Bile will then be released from the gallbladder that is connected to the liver to help further break down fats in the small intestine.
So what happens when you stop providing the liver with nutrients? When a body stops taking in nutrients abruptly, it can cause a chain of reactions. The nutrients that were stored within the liver, mainly the fatty reserves, get released after a period of fasting. These free fatty acids that get released are then converted to ketones or triglycerides, which will eventually turn into built-up lipoproteins and damage the liver and biliary system due to these high levels. This can be dangerous because the excessive amount of lipids circulating in the liver can stop the liver from performing its normal functions to eventually cause liver failure resulting in death. This is called hepatic lipidosis and is commonly seen in our overweight feline friends, but can be seen in other species as well.
Common symptoms correlated with hepatic lipidosis are lack of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and constipation. These can be confused with other gastrointestinal (GI) diseases as well, and it is important consult your veterinarian to help get your pet diagnosed. One of the first symptoms that owners notice for their pet is that they stop eating for a longer period of time typically caused by stress. This is also known as inappetence. Then, other symptoms will follow.
To prevent this disease, the pet should be in a low stress environment, owners should monitor the pet’s food intake and note any abnormalities when they appear, and the animal should maintain a healthy and stable weight. The methods to treat hepatic lipidosis can be fairly simple depending on the circumstances. If it is a light case, you can give fluid therapy to help hydrate the body, making sure there is sufficient food intake with a high valued food your veterinarian approves of, and vitamin supplementation. In severe cases of hepatic lipidosis, a feeding tube may be placed to help ensure the pet is getting the nutrition it needs.
Exercise #1
You’re worried about you’re cat because they stopped eating.
- What other symptoms should you be looking for?
- What should you do next?
Exercise #2
Think of all the 3 main functions the liver does for the body.
- Draw the liver and the gall bladder together.
- Draw the functions the liver performs.
- Think about how this affects the other parts of the body.
Lesson Plan Audio
Activities
Key Takeaways
- The liver helps store nutrients, maintain metabolism, bile production, and overall homeostasis.
- If the liver can’t properly function, it can cause liver failure and result in death if not treated.
- When fasting too long, the liver will release fatty reserves to overall cause hepatic lipidosis.
- Hepatic lipidosis can be seen more commonly in felines, but other species as well.
- Hepatic lipidosis can be treated with fluid therapy, nutrition and vitamin supplementation.
Assessment Quiz
Images in assessment quiz are created by Google Gemini
Further exploration
Additional resources into furthering your knowledge about hepatic lipidosis:
Fatty liver syndrome in cats – VCA Hospitals
Feline hepatic lipidosis – Cornell University
Hepatic lipidosis – Vet specialty
Feedback/Errata