Identifying and treating hepatic lipidosis in felines
In an interview with dvm360®, Kelly Cairns, DVM, DACVIM, MS, described this potentially fatal condition and shared effective treatment methods.
During an interview at the recent Fetch dvm360® conference in San Diego, Kelly Cairns, DVM, DACVIM, MS, detailed the ins and outs of hepatic lipidosis in felines, plus revealed a few treatment methods to help curtail this severe and often fatal condition.
View the video below for the entire discussion. The following is a partial transcript:
Kelly Cairns, DVM, DACVIM, MS: Hepatic lipidosis is a very severe, often fatal without treatment condition in cats—in particular—that occurs when a cat is not eating and the liver starts to store fat inappropriately [which] causes damage to the cells and the liver cells can actually die...Hepatic lipidosis needs to be treated with a couple of things. One is nutrition. [Veterinary professionals] have to get food into these kitties because that will reverse the fat—or the lipid—that has started building up in the liver.
