The liver is a vital organ that performs a variety of tasks, including digestion, nutritional conversion, noxious element elimination from the blood, and vitamin and mineral retention. It also is vulnerable to injury because it is exposed to so many hazardous drugs.
Food Options for Liver Disease
Now that you know all about liver disease, the next step is to decide what kind of food you should feed your cat. Many wet and dry foods are available in the market with different ingredients. You should consult your vet before purchasing any brand.
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Hill’s Prescription Diet Liver Disease Dry Cat Food
Hill’s dry cat food is one of the most popular choices for cats with liver damage. It’s based on highly digestible, fat, and carbs, as well as a moderate amount of sodium. It reduces the dependency of the liver by limiting the synthesis of metabolic nutrients.
The main source of protein in the dish is chicken. It contains a significant amount of antioxidants while also tasting good to kitties. Veterinarians approve it, according to the brand. People can’t buy the product without their veterinarian’s consent because it’s a prescription diet.
Pro Plan Veterinary Diets Cat Food
Pro-Plan Hepatic Management is a dry cat food that is comprehensive and optimized for cats with liver problems. When the liver is in a state of recurrent inadequacy, this helps to sustain the organ.
Chicken is its main protein source, and it helps to keep the liver healthy by reducing the accumulation of toxins. Furthermore, a high dose of fatty acids and glucose benefits the pet’s overall vitality. Increased zinc levels work against antioxidants. Vitamins C and E, as well as hepatotoxins, contribute to neutralise oxidative stress.
The food is really flavorful, which helps to prevent malnourishment by stimulating your cat to consume the meal. This product must only be given to your cat with veterinary oversight. The feeding manual is also quite beneficial if used.
Royal Canin Hepatic Cat Food
This product’s formulation is developed to decrease copper concentrations in your cat’s liver. It aids in decreasing the amount of the cat’s food while still delivering sufficient nourishment. The food’s five primary ingredients include animal fat, maize,rice, wheat gluten, and dried pork protein. The uniquely produced texture also makes feeding easier, which is why it is so popular.
Only a competent veterinarian’s recommendation is required before feeding Royal Canin Hepatic Food. The only disadvantages of this product are its scarcity and relatively high price.
All you need to know about liver diseases
There are two forms of liver diseases: acute and chronic. Acute liver disease manifests itself with gastrointestinal swelling, fever, frequent thirst, perspiration, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes), to name a few . Chronic liver disease, on the contrary, continues to progress with a wide range of symptoms such as loss of appetite and tiredness.
Inflammation of the liver occurs as a result of liver illnesses, of which the most prevalent is hepatitis. If the liver problem is not addressed, healthy liver cells will be replaced by damaged and unhealthy tissues, resulting in loss of function. Furthermore, untreated disorders elsewhere in the body can have a long-term impact on the liver’s function.
The disease can be effectively treated if the issue is diagnosed early and suitable therapy is administered. With adequate nutrition and medical intervention, many cats can live happily for years after being diagnosed.
You must first learn about the reasons and clinical implications for your cat’s liver condition before you can manage it.
Reasons behind liver disease
There are various factors that can influence proper functioning of your cat’s liver, some of them are listed below :
- As cats age they become more prone to different kinds of illnesses. Geriatric cats have a higher probability of contracting liver dysfunction.
- Obesity can also bring various problems along with it. One of these problems is impaired liver functioning. Cats who do not get enough physical activity end up being overweight and hence are left vulnerable to such diseases.
- Research also suggests that some cats like the Burmese cat and the Siamese cat are more prone to such diseases as compared to others.
- A cat’s body does not have all the pathways for metabolising every kind of drug. As a result, certain medications like acetaminophen can also have detrimental effects on their liver.
- Pathogens produced by infectious agents can have long-term repercussions that lead to liver damage. Liver disease can also be caused by tumours inherited issues with the liver’s blood capillaries.
How to identify if my cat has a liver problem?
To make a diagnosis for liver diseases, you must first determine the source of the condition. Medication, in any form, will only be effective if the issue has been identified as quickly as possible. Some symptoms of liver disease might be strikingly analogous to those of other infections.
Get in touch with your vet if you notice any of the following symptoms:
- Weight loss
- Poor appetite
- Development of a yellow shade in skin and eyes
- Drinking more water than usual
- vomiting or diarrhoea
- Behavioural changes such as hesitation and lethargy
- Frequent trips to litter box
- A few pet owners have also observed dark coloured urine when their cats go through level dysfunction
- There gums can also turn pale and they may have difficulty ingesting food
- Due to accumulation of fluids in their belly you can also notice a sudden weight gain hinting towards liver failure
These symptoms can also be caused by various other illnesses, therefore before making any judgement make sure you check with your vet so that he can provide a deeper analysis. Monitoring their diet while this phase is highly crucial as cats may Get extremely weak during this phase.
God forbid, if the results come out to be positive then you should make sure that you give the best care to your cat. Any hepatic disease can be overturned by improving their metabolism of fats and carbohydrates. Hence the right four should have an appropriate mixture of carbs, high-quality fats and should be low on salt and copper.
What Foods to Avoid?
Salt
The amount of salt in your pet’s diet should be regularly managed to ensure that he or she does not retain any additional fluid. If any kind of liquid builds up in the liver, it can quickly deteriorate.
Copper
Although copper development is uncommon in liver dysfunction, it is nevertheless a concern. Absorbable copper should be restricted in your pet’s diet if this is the scenario. Veterinarians frequently prescribe substituting it with zinc or another nutrient that aids in assimilation.
What Foods to Look For?
Vitamins and Supplements
Some supplements that can help in strengthening the labour hi are-
- Zinc
- VitaminE
- Ursodiol
- Milk thistle
- Denamarin
They usually ease the inflammation in the inner lining and provide equilibrium to the antioxidant levels inside the liver.
Vitamin K
In some cases of liver disease in your pets, they are put on long-term antibiotic treatment to help the body keep up with the by-products of altered liver metabolism. In such cases, extra Vitamin K is needed.
Since the liver depends on Vitamin K for the synthesis of the proteins that cause blood clots, vets recommend Vitamin K supplements to be added to the regular diet. This is especially practiced if the regular pet food is lacking in nutrients.
Protein
Depending on the type and stage of liver disease, the need for protein intake will vary. Some types of the disease will require an increase in protein while others will require limiting the nutrient.
In cases where protein needs to be limited, veterinarians often recommend using dairy, soy, and egg sources instead of meat-based foods.
Liver-friendly pet foods can either be purchased or prepared at home. The important thing is to make sure that all the required nutrition is present. This is hard to achieve at home, and all attempts should be made after consultation with the vet or any certified nutritionist.
Conclusion
For a proper diagnosis of liver disease, and to identify the exact cause and treatment, you might have to run a few tests, such as blood cultures, urine tests, or biopsies for definitive diagnosis. A definitive diagnosis will help you decide on a perfect diet plan.
An ideal diet includes high-quality protein (levels depend on the type of liver disease), a high portion of fat content, and carbohydrates for energy.
In some cases, if the loss of appetite remains persistent, you may need to feed your pet via a syringe or feeding tube. Dehydration may result; to overcome that electrolytes or IV will need to be administered to normalize your pet’s health.
Very severe liver diseases can build up large amounts of toxins in the blood, which can affect the brain. They can lead to disorientation, confusion, and seizures of hepatic encephalopathy. Hence, it is important to keep an eye on your cat’s behavior and contact the vet as soon as possible.
