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My 6 year old female tabby Mattie has recently been diagnosed with fatty liver disease..but I'm not sure it's a correct diagnosis.
I took her in because she had basically stopped eating/drinking. The vet mainly felt around her lower tummy and said that she must be drinking something cause her bladder was full. He said her liver felt a bit enlarged so he did a blood panel. It came back ok, but he said fatty liver disease would only truly show up on a liver biopsy. Then he began talking about special food to feed her with a syringe which I've been doing the last week and a half. He also talked about euthanasia ( a bit soon I thought!) instead of watching her "wither" away...
I just don't feel right about the whole thing. She isn't overweight, in fact her top weight was 8 pounds now she's 7. I thought maybe it was due to having a new kitten in the house so I have kept her in her favorite place, my bedroom, all by herself with the door closed so she could relax and eat in peace. She still isn't eating much.
I check the litter box and there are light yellow spots where she's has urinated. Not much poop at all...
So yeah, she's not eating very well. I am at work all day so it's hard to keep an eye on what she's doing when I'm gone. I feed her every morning with the syringe with a mixture of the food the vet gave me which is Science Diet A/D and Pedialite. I've also beed switching it up with different baby foods. She seems to like the Turkey/Rice one but won't eat it on her own off the plate.
I do know she has stopped grooming herself and as a cat owner many times over, I know this is not good.
I don't have much money for better diagnostics, which is the main problem. This vet took a post dated check from me.
Does anyone have any suggestions? She's such a sweetheart..we love each other to pieces. She still purrs and kneads her paws on me in bed at night..loves to have her ears and chin rubbed, I could do it for hours and she'd be thrilled, LOL.
I can tell she's going down hill. She used to come downstairs and play hard and scamper around. Now she doesn't do anything but lay on my bed. Help!
most pet food is garbage. Science diet isn't a good food either.
A good food would be Instincts canned or wellness grain free. Canned food is always better then dry. Be careful with baby food as it could have onion or garlic both of which are toxic to cats.
Here are a few websites that have info on the disease that might help. I would consider getting a second opinion since she is not overweight and that is listed as a main reason.
most pet food is garbage. Science diet isn't a good food either.
A good food would be Instincts canned or wellness grain free. Canned food is always better then dry. Be careful with baby food as it could have onion or garlic both of which are toxic to cats.
No only is this not helpful to the OP it only pisses off regular posters like me who recognize you from your other user name. Quit preaching.
Yes he checked her teeth as that is what I originally thought was the problem. He said they were fine.
The vet specifically told me to give her baby food just for now, along with the SD A/D, in order to get her to eat SOMETHING. I bought the blandest one I found but hoped it would be palatable to her.
I tried CareCredit but my credit stinks due to a divorce and bankruptcy.
I'm going to go buy some wet food tonight after work then. I have been only feeding dry for several years. Maybe that is the whole problem? She just sniffs at it now and walks away. She is so good when I feed the wet with the syringe..I just have to be patient and go slow and she allows me to do it. I just love her to pieces..I can't lose her, she's only six!
The attached pic is when she was six months old, she has the biggest eyes! My partner says she looks like an owl sometimes, LOL.
One of our cats turned up with this same symptoms in March of this year. He was less than 4 years old at that time - just basically stopped eating and drinking - lost weight slowly - became passive and finally listless.
First vet said "Too bad, poor kitty, what a bummer" and offered no hope other than lots of tests, meds, hospital time and euthanasia.
Next vet said, "This looks like Fatty Liver Disease, let's put in a feeding tube and see how he does."
1 day and (only) $75.00 later the cat was home with a feeding tube, a syringe, some cans of Science Diet (which we thinned with a lot of water). We also added a touch of milk thistle and fish oil to his liquid diet, having read online about the success of others who had done so.
It took about 10 weeks of the syringe feeding before he started eating on his own, and another week before he completely resumed that chore on his own. (beginning of May)
You can see the picture of him (he's the black-and-white [Tuxedo] DSH) in the photo chasing off the deer in July. See it here.
He's healthier than ever.
I'll tell you something else:
He (Roo) was quite the standoffish little stinker before all this. Now he can't get enough of his peeps.
Good luck, I hope you'll have equally happy results in the long run. Hang in there.
The vet mentioned a feeding tube and I was like OMG!
Love the pic! I will keep feeding with the syringe in the meantime and will search for a good wet food tonight..
I have done a lot of research on the web also..but why wouldn't fatty liver disease show up on the blood panel? Wouldn't her liver enzymes be elevated? Everything showed completely normal.
I'm sorry Mattie's not feeling well. Baby food is fine as long as it's an all meat formula. Just check the label and make sure there's no garlic or onion in it. Baby food is easy to digest and easy on their stomachs. I agree with Keeper about getting a second opinion. Call around to different vets and explain your financial situation till you find one that is willing to work with you. And make sure to give the new vet the test results from the first vet. Good luck to you both.
Have you tried Urinary Tract formula food? sometimes if the cat is having trouble eliminating, they will avoid food. Worth a try anyway. Good luck and keep us posted.
The vet mentioned a feeding tube and I was like OMG!
Having had to go through syringe feeding three different times with two different cats - if you think the cat can survive the surgery to place a feeding tube - give it some serious consideration. It is much easier and less stressful to get the right amount of food and water and meds in them if you can use a feeding tube instead of an oral syringe. Once the cat starts eating of its own volition the tube is removed. If I am ever in this situation again I would definitely rather put in a feeding tube asap than to wait and see if the cat improves and then decide. Because if the cat declines instead of improving, placing the tube will be that much riskier and you may wish you'd done it when you could.
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