hepatic lipidosis

Our cat was diagnosed with fatty liver 10 days ago... since then we've
been force feeding her, and had her hospitalised ocassionally, but
there is no sign of improvement. She has no interest in eating, and is
extremely jaundiced. Our vet says that after 10 days without
improvement her chances of recovery are less than 10%. My wife is very
emotionally attached to this cat and doesn't want to make the decision
to stop treatment. Financially, we are in no position for weeks of
futile treatment, and had agreed to give her a few more days, but if
there's no improvement, to stop treatment on Friday. However, since
then, my wife has done research online which indicated that many cats
can recover after months of nutritional support. Force feeding the cat
is an extremely stressful experience for all involved, and unless the
chances of survival are greater, I feel it's better to let her rest in
peace instead of putting her through that trauma.

Any advice?

I don't know much about this, but I have heard that they can put a feeding
tube into the cat in order to help feeding. Post your message to the
rec.pets.cats.health+behavior group. I think there's been some people in
that group that have gone through this before. Good luck.

Sue
wrote in message
oups.com...
Our cat was diagnosed with fatty liver 10 days ago... since then we've
been force feeding her, and had her hospitalised ocassionally, but
there is no sign of improvement. She has no interest in eating, and is
extremely jaundiced. Our vet says that after 10 days without
improvement her chances of recovery are less than 10%. My wife is very
emotionally attached to this cat and doesn't want to make the decision
to stop treatment. Financially, we are in no position for weeks of
futile treatment, and had agreed to give her a few more days, but if
there's no improvement, to stop treatment on Friday. However, since
then, my wife has done research online which indicated that many cats
can recover after months of nutritional support. Force feeding the cat
is an extremely stressful experience for all involved, and unless the
chances of survival are greater, I feel it's better to let her rest in
peace instead of putting her through that trauma.

Any advice?

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll check out the other group.

Hi, I've gone through this process before. I had to tube feed my cat Nicky for 2 months.

check my tube feeding website: http://pages.infinit.net/logann/nicky.htm

good luck
Robert

On 28 Dec 2004 00:47:39 -0800, wrote:

Our cat was diagnosed with fatty liver 10 days ago... since then we've
been force feeding her, and had her hospitalised ocassionally, but
there is no sign of improvement. She has no interest in eating, and is
extremely jaundiced. Our vet says that after 10 days without
improvement her chances of recovery are less than 10%. My wife is very
emotionally attached to this cat and doesn't want to make the decision
to stop treatment. Financially, we are in no position for weeks of
futile treatment, and had agreed to give her a few more days, but if
there's no improvement, to stop treatment on Friday. However, since
then, my wife has done research online which indicated that many cats
can recover after months of nutritional support. Force feeding the cat
is an extremely stressful experience for all involved, and unless the
chances of survival are greater, I feel it's better to let her rest in
peace instead of putting her through that trauma.

Any advice?

wrote in message
oups.com...
Our cat was diagnosed with fatty liver 10 days ago... since then we've
been force feeding her, and had her hospitalised ocassionally, but
there is no sign of improvement. She has no interest in eating, and is
extremely jaundiced. Our vet says that after 10 days without
improvement her chances of recovery are less than 10%. My wife is very
emotionally attached to this cat and doesn't want to make the decision
to stop treatment. Financially, we are in no position for weeks of
futile treatment, and had agreed to give her a few more days, but if
there's no improvement, to stop treatment on Friday. However, since
then, my wife has done research online which indicated that many cats
can recover after months of nutritional support. Force feeding the cat
is an extremely stressful experience for all involved, and unless the
chances of survival are greater, I feel it's better to let her rest in
peace instead of putting her through that trauma.

Any advice?


Seek a second opinion as soon as possible. Your vet's treatment plan and
"prognosis" are ill-advised bordering on incompetency..

Force-feeding is contributing to the lack of improvement. Cats with HL are
already severely stressed and very *sick*. Most cats resent being forced
fed. Force-feeding only adds more stress to an already stressed cat and
should be avoided.

In addition, your cat will likely develop an aversion to food due to the
association of the unpleasant experience of force-feeding and food -- This
will only delay your cat's return to voluntary eating.

In the clinical phase of HL, the ***only*** reliable and effective treatment
option is *tube feeding* -- PEG ( percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy)
tube is the most effective. Nasoesophageal feeding tubes are usually only
effective in the early, mild stages of HL.

Most cats adapt very nicely to PEG tubes. In fact, many times tube feeding
must be suspended to see if the cat's appetite has returned. The feline
liver has the remarkable ability to regenerate. Therefore, in cats with
hepatic lipidosis recurrence is rare, and the cats that recover go on to
live long, happy, normal lives.

Please seek a second opinion from a vet experienced with HL and PEG tube
placement.

Go to http://www.acvim.org/Kittleson/search.htm and do a search for an
internal medicine Diplomate/Specialist in your area. American College of
Veterinary Internal Medicine Diplomates are about the best there is.



If you can't find an ACVIM specialist in your area, my second choice would
be an ABVP Diplomate/Feline Specialist (American Board of Veterinary
Practitioners).

Go to http://www.abvp.com/diplosearch1.htm http://www.abvp.com/



For more information about HL and PEG tubes, please visit my site:

http://www.maxshouse.com/Feline_Hepatic_Lipidosis.htm

http://www.maxshouse.com/managing_pe..._feeding_t.htm

http://www.maxshouse.com/Enteral-Assisted_Feeding.htm

http://www.maxshouse.com/percutancou...my_tube_pl.htm


Best of luck.

Phil

wrote in message
oups.com...
Our cat was diagnosed with fatty liver 10 days ago... since then we've
been force feeding her, and had her hospitalised ocassionally, but
there is no sign of improvement. She has no interest in eating, and is
extremely jaundiced. Our vet says that after 10 days without
improvement her chances of recovery are less than 10%. My wife is very
emotionally attached to this cat and doesn't want to make the decision
to stop treatment. Financially, we are in no position for weeks of
futile treatment, and had agreed to give her a few more days, but if
there's no improvement, to stop treatment on Friday. However, since
then, my wife has done research online which indicated that many cats
can recover after months of nutritional support. Force feeding the cat
is an extremely stressful experience for all involved, and unless the
chances of survival are greater, I feel it's better to let her rest in
peace instead of putting her through that trauma.

Any advice?


Seek a second opinion as soon as possible. Your vet's treatment plan and
"prognosis" are ill-advised bordering on incompetency..

Force-feeding is contributing to the lack of improvement. Cats with HL are
already severely stressed and very *sick*. Most cats resent being forced
fed. Force-feeding only adds more stress to an already stressed cat and
should be avoided.

In addition, your cat will likely develop an aversion to food due to the
association of the unpleasant experience of force-feeding and food -- This
will only delay your cat's return to voluntary eating.

In the clinical phase of HL, the ***only*** reliable and effective treatment
option is *tube feeding* -- PEG ( percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy)
tube is the most effective. Nasoesophageal feeding tubes are usually only
effective in the early, mild stages of HL.

Most cats adapt very nicely to PEG tubes. In fact, many times tube feeding
must be suspended to see if the cat's appetite has returned. The feline
liver has the remarkable ability to regenerate. Therefore, in cats with
hepatic lipidosis recurrence is rare, and the cats that recover go on to
live long, happy, normal lives.

Please seek a second opinion from a vet experienced with HL and PEG tube
placement.

Go to http://www.acvim.org/Kittleson/search.htm and do a search for an
internal medicine Diplomate/Specialist in your area. American College of
Veterinary Internal Medicine Diplomates are about the best there is.



If you can't find an ACVIM specialist in your area, my second choice would
be an ABVP Diplomate/Feline Specialist (American Board of Veterinary
Practitioners).

Go to http://www.abvp.com/diplosearch1.htm http://www.abvp.com/



For more information about HL and PEG tubes, please visit my site:

http://www.maxshouse.com/Feline_Hepatic_Lipidosis.htm

http://www.maxshouse.com/managing_pe..._feeding_t.htm

http://www.maxshouse.com/Enteral-Assisted_Feeding.htm

http://www.maxshouse.com/percutancou...my_tube_pl.htm


Best of luck.

Phil

There is also an e-tube which goes in through the neck. The procedure for
installing an e-tube is less stressful/costly than an PEG tube. An e-tune
is for short time use weeks while the PEG for long-term use. My Mario had
an e-tube for about 5 weeks before he pulled it out. It made feeding easy.

--
Larry - Owned by eight cats

"Larry" wrote in message
ink.net...
There is also an e-tube which goes in through the neck. The procedure for
installing an e-tube is less stressful/costly than an PEG tube. An e-tune
is for short time use weeks while the PEG for long-term use. My Mario had
an e-tube for about 5 weeks before he pulled it out. It made feeding
easy.


Larry,

Most cats find the E-tube and the associated neck wrap very uncomfortable
and stressful. Since avoidance of stress is one of major concerns in cats
with HL, esophagostomy tubes are not recommended for enteral nutrition in
cats with HL.

I'm very happy Mario was able to deal with his e-tube, most cats couldn't.
You have a very special cat! ...but you already know that! ;-)

Phil