Liver cirrhosis in cats
Liver cirrhosis in cats, dogs, and humans follows a nearly identical course. It involves parenchymal tissue atrophy due to diffuse (scattered) connective tissue proliferation. Naturally, all liver functions are impaired, as liver cells become fewer and connective tissue cells increase. Today, we'll discuss the causes, symptoms, and treatment of liver cirrhosis in cats.
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Causes of the disease
Before we talk about the causes of liver cirrhosis in cats, we should understand its types.
Primary hepatitis in cats
- For example, if the disease is primary, it's most likely due to the prolonged circulation of toxins through the liver. Due to constant intoxication, the liver begins to partially fail. Therefore, it can be said that chronic poisoning or toxic substance intake leads to liver cirrhosis.
And animals aren't always poisoned by eating poor-quality or spoiled food. The pet owner can also be at fault, slowly killing their pet by self-medicating. They may choose medications at random or based on friends' advice, or they may overdose in the hopes of a faster recovery, or they may neglect the frequency of administration or the duration of treatment. They may fail to take into account the pet's hypersensitivity to the active ingredient. Ultimately, it's best not to overuse medications with hepatotoxic effects.
- Sometimes primary cirrhosis in cats develops due to vitamin deficiency, such as vitamin B6. However, in this case, the disease will not manifest itself immediately; there must be some trigger to initiate the development of cirrhosis.
- Metabolic disorder.
- Violation of the outflow of bile and blood.
- Heredity. All sorts of predispositions to disease are inherited. A predisposition to liver disease can also be encoded in DNA.
Secondary liver cirrhosis in cats
Secondary liver cirrhosis develops in animals as a result of an infectious or invasive (parasitic) disease. It most often occurs because the liver is already diseased. For example, a cat already has hepatitis or hepatosis. As a complication, the pet develops cirrhosis.
Cats even have a disease called viral hepatitis, which can progress to cirrhosis even after the animal recovers. In addition to viral hepatitis, the liver is also affected by leptospirosis, adenovirus, and other diseases.
Heart failure can also lead to cirrhosis in cats.
What happens to the liver in cirrhosis?
Connective tissue grows and needs space. Therefore, it takes the place of liver cells, pushing them apart and squeezing them. Blood vessels are also compressed. The nutrition of still-functioning liver cells is disrupted. The situation worsens.
Blood stagnation in the organ leads to its enlargement and distension. As a result, the animal develops abdominal dropsy (ascites).
Because the liver is no longer able to perform all its functions, including cleansing the blood of toxins, the body becomes poisoned (intoxicated). The blood, despite passing through the body's natural filter, remains contaminated with toxins, waste products that are not neutralized.
Symptoms of the disease
The disease itself is chronic. Therefore, the symptoms of cirrhosis in cats They don't appear immediately, and they're not particularly obvious; they often go unnoticed for a long time until the animal becomes very ill. The main symptoms of liver cirrhosis in cats are:
Let's start with the common misconception about jaundice in cats as a symptom. Jaundice, which is characteristic of almost all liver diseases, is practically unnoticeable in cirrhosis. In cats, the mucous membranes and whites of the eyes are slightly yellowed.
Palpation, percussion
Regarding organ enlargement, things are also unclear. If the cirrhosis is hypertrophic, the affected liver can be felt on the pet's right side, just behind the last rib. Normally, it doesn't protrude beyond the ribs! However, if a cat has atrophic cirrhosis, the organ shrinks, as if shrinking. The owner won't be able to detect anything. This isn't hepatitis, so the animal won't experience any significant pain. And a veterinarian might not suspect anything upon percussion.
Other symptoms
Other symptoms of liver cirrhosis in cats include:
| Ascites | The only other thing that might alert a veterinarian is abdominal dropsy. The owner will likely notice a rounded belly, even though the pet is eating normally or even less. And it doesn't look like fat. Feeling the belly reveals fluid accumulation. |
| Fatigue | The pet gets tired quickly, so it can sleep a lot (although cats already sleep 18 hours a day, but if the cat has cirrhosis of the liver, sleep can be even longer). |
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Loss of weight and appetite, intense thirst |
The cat is starting to lose weight. His appetite is noticeably diminished. If he eats at all, it's reluctantly. However, he drinks a lot. Because he drinks so much water, he urinates frequently and a lot. Sometimes he even misses the litter box, rather than reaching it. |
| Blood test |
If you look at the blood test results, you can see that the cat has anemia and leukopenia (albeit minor). |
|
In an advanced form of the disease |
If a cat has an advanced stage of the disease, toxins and enzymes in the bile affect the brain and nervous system. This causes seizures, aggression, and loss of coordination. Male cats also drool excessively. Vision may deteriorate (they bump into things and try to walk carefully to avoid bumping into anything). |
Treatment
Is it possible to cure liver cirrhosis in cats? Unfortunately, it's not completely curable. The liver can no longer be restored. The liver cells have already been replaced by connective tissue, which is no longer capable of performing the organ's functions.
- The only thing that can make your pet's life a little easier is the use of cardiac medications, as well as drugs that will help improve digestion.
The animal's diet must be reviewed. Protein must be eliminated (or at least significantly reduced). Special low-protein foods can be used. This is necessary to "relieve" digestion and prevent the liver from becoming overworked, as it can no longer cope with normal digestion.
- If your pet refuses to eat or has lost a significant amount of weight, you may need to administer glucose IVs to restore the animal's strength and provide it with the necessary energy.
- To prevent further liver death, it is necessary to prescribe vitamin therapy for the sick cat (pay attention to vitamins B and C).
- Of course, you can give a cat with cirrhosis Essentiale and other hepatoprotectors to help the liver at least a little. But don't expect miracles.
- If ascites has already developed, the cat should be given diuretics. If these aren't effective, the veterinarian will perform a surgical procedure (a puncture to remove excess fluid).
If bleeding has already begun, the cat should be immediately treated with Vikasol (a vitamin K supplement) for liver cirrhosis. This will speed up the blood clotting process. A blood plasma transfusion may also be necessary, but it's important to select the correct blood type, which is collected only from healthy animals.
Disease prevention
First, it's important to understand that prevention of cirrhosis in cats (and other diseases for that matter) is always better than cure. Therefore, it's essential to closely monitor your pet's diet from the very first day it arrives. Avoid giving anything spoiled or questionable. Avoid giving prohibited foods, too.
Do not administer any medications without a veterinarian's approval! Do not exceed the dosage, increase the course of treatment, or increase the number of times the medication is administered. Do not use human medications on your animal. Many of these can damage the animal's liver within a week (or even less).
Vaccinate your cats on time! Yes, cats, even indoor cats, need to be vaccinated.
- Keep houseplants away. Some, despite their harmless appearance, can be poisonous to pets.
- Don't let your pet's illnesses progress. If you notice anything suspicious, contact your veterinarian immediately. Prompt treatment can minimize the risk of complications.
A comprehensive webinar for professionals on liver diseases, including cirrhosis in cats.
If you have any questions about liver cirrhosis in cats, please leave them in the comments!
Read also:
- Cholangitis in cats: treatment and symptoms
- Ritis coefficient in cats
- Hepatopathy in cats: symptoms and treatment
10 comments
Dmitry
Hello, tell me, my cat hasn't eaten anything for 3 or 4 days. She plays, but she constantly climbs behind the sofa in the room. Could it be that she ate poisoned mice? Our neighbor poisons mice.
Daria is a veterinarian
Hello! If your pet were poisoned, in addition to refusing to eat, you would also see vomiting, loose stools (often with blood, especially in cases of zoocoumarin or rat poison poisoning), abdominal pain, lethargy, and weakness. Is your pet at least drinking water? What are you feeding your pet (what is the daily diet)? How are your mandatory preventative treatments (vaccinations, deworming)? Are there any other clinical signs? What is your pet's age? Is it spayed or neutered? If not, has it recently been in heat? Is it pregnant? Without any information about its feeding, housing, and health, it's impossible to make even a tentative diagnosis.
Julia
Hello, Daria, we have a very complicated situation. We are official breeders of British Shorthairs in Belgium, have a registration number, etc. Someone bought a kitten from us, and I had a bad feeling about the young couple who bought it from the very beginning. They chose a small cub, the most affectionate of the litter, and our veterinarian looked after him from birth, visiting him two or three times a week and keeping an eye on everything. At one month old, he caught a cold and had a runny nose and sneezing, but after 10 days, everything was fine. He became the largest, with a horizontally oval face, wide... a real bear.
Always there, even to fetch you when you go to the bathroom. The owners called and said he started sneezing after three weeks, so we sent them to the vet, who gave him some antibiotics, but otherwise, he's in tip-top shape. Two weeks later, they called and said his belly had gotten bigger, so my husband went to check on him right away and took him to our vet. We were shocked to see that it was a tiny skeleton with an air cushion underneath, when we expected to see a bear cub with a belly.
Our vet arrived immediately and said he had symptoms of worms, gave him an anti-worming drug, and said to wait for his stool, but there was no stool. A day later, he began a thorough examination and found that his entire cavity was covered in fluid. He drained it and sucked out 0.5 liters of fluid. His decision was that his liver was simply ruined. He has known him and his parents since birth and his conclusion is liver poisoning. Moreover, the owner said he plays with flowers that are poisonous to cats. After which he blames us. We are fighting for his life to the end, because such a creature is very rare, the smartest and most gentle of all the ones we have ever had. Tell us, do we have a chance to save the baby? We will keep him, the main thing is that he lives, even if he is disabled. Thank you in advance for your attention and for any advice, if you have any... Sincerely, Yulia
Daria is a veterinarian
Hello! It's a shame you've encountered people who don't know how to properly care for cats and what's dangerous for them. The liver recovers, but slowly. Toxic liver dystrophy following poisoning is very difficult. It requires painstaking care, long courses of treatment, and a special diet (to avoid straining the gastrointestinal tract). Hepatoprotectors—some use them, others are convinced they're useless. But B vitamins are definitely helpful. I'm sure the level of veterinary care and access to medications in Belgium are much better than in Russia or Belarus (although you can find professionals there too). Don't give up. And rule out FIP if there was ascites.
Zhanar
Hello. My kitten is sick. He's 3-4 months old. He's not eating anything. He's become so thin that his bones are visible. The vet prescribed Essentiale 3 ml + 3 ml with novocaine. That's all. But he's not getting any better. He's really bad. Please help.
Daria is a veterinarian
Hello! What was the doctor's diagnosis? Why was a hepatoprotector prescribed? Are there any symptoms typical of liver damage (vomiting, jaundice, bowel changes, changes in stool color and consistency)? How long ago was the deworming done? What exactly are you feeding the kitten (natural or commercial food, what products/manufacturer)? Was the kitten previously ill, or were they given any medications/vitamins/supplements shortly before the first symptoms appeared? How long has the kitten been experiencing this condition? What other symptoms? Have antibiotics been used? Does the kitten have access to the outdoors?
Julia
What should I feed a kitten with liver cirrhosis if it barely eats special food?
Dasha is a veterinarian
Hello. Look for similar foods from other manufacturers. Perhaps he doesn't like the "taste" (some don't like additives, while others, on the contrary, expect the food to taste like their favorite chicken or salmon). Is he eating something natural? What is the severity of his illness? What did the doctor say? What recommendations did they give? What specific food did they recommend? What are you treating him with? Could he simply have a poor appetite due to the medication and not responding well to other foods? Or does he enjoy eating other foods?
Valery
Can hepatitis be transmitted from cats to humans?
Dasha is a veterinarian
No. Feline hepatitis is not contagious to humans, even if the disease is caused by a virus. There's no need to worry about it. And if the liver inflammation is non-contagious, there's no cause for concern.
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