Your cat’s liver is a vital organ that carries out a number of metabolic functions.
As the body’s natural filter, the liver retains and eliminates potentially toxic substances in your cat’s bloodstream, e.g., the waste by-products of protein metabolism.
Nutrient-rich blood from the intestines is also carried through the liver, which converts these nutrients so they can be readily used. In addition, the liver transforms proteins, fatty acids, and carbohydrates into energy—energy that all the cells in your cat’s body need to function.
The liver does a lot of pretty important jobs, doesn’t it?
The downside is that this also puts your cat’s liver at risk from certain harmful substances. Fortunately, this exceptional organ has a high regenerative capacity that allows it to repair the damage.
What are the substances and hazards that pose the greatest threat? The list includes:
The most common cause of liver disease in cats is hepatic lipidosis, or fatty liver disease.
This ailment is characterized by an excessive accumulation of fat in your cat’s liver cells. It almost always occurs following a period of acute anorexia—when your cat avoids eating—caused by another condition, such as:
Your cat is at higher risk of developing this complication if they’re overweight.
If the liver damage is extensive enough to prevent the organ from functioning normally and undermines its ability to repair itself, you may notice clinical signs in your cat, the most common being:
Your cat’s liver needs energy and nutrients to be able to regenerate.
If your cat has hepatic lipidosis, their body needs proteins to transport fatty acids out of the liver and make them available to other organs.
And in order to get better, your cat needs food so the liver gets the energy and nutrients it needs to regenerate—no easy feat if your cat refuses to eat! In extreme cases, force-feeding or a feeding tube may be necessary.
Another issue is that if your cat’s liver isn’t working properly and their diet contains an excess amount of certain nutrients that need to be converted, it could make things worse.
As you can see, this can become a vicious cycle, but feeding your sick cat a carefully balanced diet can go a long way to making things better. Food formulated to the specific needs of their liver condition is the key to helping your cat recover.
Some specialized veterinary foods have the right nutritional profile to keep your cat’s liver functioning properly. Ask your vet to recommend the one that’s best for your feline friend.
Vet-recommended foods to promote liver health deliver a balance of:
Packed with these high-quality, easily digestible substances, specially formulated foods give your cat all the nutrients and energy their body needs, while making things easier on their liver.
This reduces the risk that a protein buildup could make your cat’s symptoms worse but ensures their body receives the proteins it needs to carry fatty acids out of the liver.
Because liver disease can cause appetite loss and even anorexia, specialized foods formulated for liver problems are made to be pleasing to the palate. They’re made with mouth-watering ingredients and have interesting textures so your cat will want to eat them.
These diets are also calorie-dense to offset your cat’s loss of appetite. That way you know they’re getting enough nutrients even if they’re not eating as much.
This can help reduce the need for assisted feeding and simplify the treatment process.
Specialized cat liver care formulas contain:
Globalvet stores carry a number of specialized foods formulated to treat liver disorders. Find the one your vet recommends for your kitty in stores or online.
