Feline Hepatic Lipidosis & Steroids

Feline hepatic lipidosis (HL) is the most common feline liver disease and is fatal if left untreated. Treatment requires nutritional therapy that helps repair the liver and balances out the cat's diet. Steroids are not used during any stages of treating HL. However, steroids are common treatment for several other feline ailments.

  1. About Hepatic Lipidosis

    • HL is caused when an overweight cat stops eating for a prolonged period of time, usually over the course of two weeks. Starvation induces a reaction in the cat's body, causing it to use fat cells to maintain energy. The use of fat cells causes the liver to clog, preventing it from functioning properly. Starvation usually occurs due to extreme cases of stress and anxiety. Other potential causes include underlying diseases such as metastatic neoplasia or bile duct carcinoma. Veterinarians diagnose HL through a biopsy and histopathology.

    Treatment of Hepatic Lipidosis

    • HL is treated through nutritional therapy that introduces a healthy diet rich in amino acids, calories and protein that's easily digestible. Nutritional therapy is commonly administered through a feeding tube for the first month of two, until the cat is healthy enough to eat on its own. During all stages of nutritional therapy it's essential that the cat remain well-hydrated with liquids high in electrolytes. Once a cat is healthy enough to eat on its own, the vet may introduce several vitamin and dietary supplements to keep the animal healthy.

    Feline Steroid Treatment

    • Although HL isn't treated with steroids, many other feline diseases and ailments greatly benefit from steroid treatment. Two types of steroids are used to treat feline diseases -- anti-inflammatory steroids and anabolic steroids. Anti-inflammatory steroids are typically used to treat diseases such as allergies, immune system disorders, arthritis, stomach/intestinal inflammation, asthma and tendinitis. Anabolic steroids build feline muscle, increase red blood cell count, stimulate bone marrow and increase testosterone. The dose of steroids is gradually decreased over a period of time after the cat no longer needs them to avoid adverse reactions such as adrenaline deficit.

    Side Effects of Feline Steroid Treatment

    • Steroid side effects vary among cats. Mild side effects include increased appetite and thirst, frequent urination, sodium and fluid retention and weight gain. Side effects such as difficulty breathing, liver disease, kidney failure, increased aggression and irritability are much more serious. Often side effects are easily controlled by decreasing the dosage, but if that isn't effective, then the vet needs to look for alternative treatment. In more severe cases, mainly during prolonged steroid treatment, a cat will develop unmanageable levels of cortisol which is a direct cause of Cushing's disease. Too much cortisol will also cause skin lesions, hair loss and increased aggression.