The liver in animals performs many complex and vital functions for the body. The health of this organ depends on environmental conditions, the quality of feeding and makes the pet vulnerable to chronic diseases. Cirrhosis is considered the most common liver disease in cats. This pathology causes the growth of connective tissue, and therefore the organ ceases to function properly. The disease is practically untreatable and develops imperceptibly for the owner of the animal. This article will examine the causes, symptoms, and treatment of cirrhosis in cats.
Risk group
Cirrhosis is not transmitted in any way. It is a slow replacement of liver tissue with scar compounds. Hidden hepatopathologies are understood as such diseases in which the clinical picture is mild, and characteristic signs are either only outlined or hidden under other diseases. All animals are susceptible to cirrhosis; cats are no exception. The risk group for the development of this pathology includes pets with weakened immunity, the elderly or those who use drugs with a detrimental effect on the organ. In addition, cirrhosis is a consequence of concomitant pathologies.
Causes of Cirrhosis in Cats
Cirrhosis is a progressive disease that is accompanied by destructive changes in the tissues of the liver. The disease leads to impaired functioning of this body. Most often, the disease manifests itself in animals of middle and old age. In veterinary practice, it is customary to distinguish between primary and secondary forms of liver cirrhosis in cats. Each of which has its own causes.
Primary cirrhosis
The disease occurs for the following reasons:
- Metabolic disease.
- Violation of the outflow of blood and bile.
- Deficiency in the body of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin B6.
- Hereditary pathologies associated with impaired glycogen metabolism in the liver.
- Poisoning the body with toxic substances (products of the petrochemical industry, pesticides, drugs).
- Frequent use of mold products.
- In addition, helminthic infestations lead to the development of toxic liver cirrhosis in cats. This is due to poisoning of the animal's body by the products of the vital activity of worms.
Secondary cirrhosis
This type of pathology is recorded by veterinarians much more often than the primary form. Causes of secondary cirrhosis are considered diseases, the complication of which is cirrhosis of the liver. These include:
- Various infectious pathologies (viral, bacterial, fungal).
- Dysfunctions - hepatosis, hepatitis, leptospirosis, adenoviruses.
- Invasive parasites.
- Heart failure.
Below we consider in more detail the symptoms and treatment of liver cirrhosis in cats and cats with any form of the disease.
Symptoms
Unlike inflammatory processes in the liver, cirrhosis is latent chronic. To a certain stage, the disease develops almost without symptoms. This is due to the high regenerative ability of liver cells to recover. Very often, ghost owners confuse signs of cirrhosis with liver failure or other diseases. As a rule, the owner notices pathology only at a time when it is already too late. And yet, every owner should know the warning signs that indicate the development of cirrhosis:
- Lethargy.
- Lethargy.
- Drowsiness.
- Fatigue of the animal.
- The cat stops moving actively, spends most of his time lying down and sleeps a lot.
- Decreased appetite and weight. Animal weight loss is one of the most disturbing symptoms of the disease.
- Vomiting, most often mixed with bile.
- Disruption of the digestive system. Alternating constipation and diarrhea.
- Increased thirst.
- Frequent urination in the toilet in a small way. In this case, the urine acquires an orange tint. This is due to undecomposed products of nitrogen metabolism and the release of bilirubin.
- The cat goes to the toilet in small small portions. Often the owner may notice a puddle not in the tray.
- In a cat, the abdomen may increase in size. This happens with the development of ascites - accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity of the animal.
- In the later stages of the development of the disease, yellowness of the mucous membranes is observed.
In addition to the above symptoms, cats may experience frequent bleeding and poor blood coagulation. Symptoms of encephalopathy appear due to severe intoxication of the body. In this case, there is a violation of coordination, convulsions, increased salivation, a change in the behavior of pets. Some cats with cirrhosis of the liver meow and become aggressive. In the initial stages, cirrhosis is not very pronounced, which makes it difficult to identify the disease.
Diagnostics
It is impossible to diagnose cirrhosis of the liver alone. If you suspect this disease, you must show the animal to a veterinarian. Carrying out all the necessary research is possible only in a specialized institution. The following methods are used to make an accurate diagnosis in clinics:
- Clinical examination. To detect ascites (this disease is associated with cirrhosis), the veterinarian examines the abdominal cavity. Ascites is diagnosed by palpation.
- In addition, the doctor examines the boundaries of the liver. With cirrhosis, it is increased and stands for natural norms.
- Ultrasound This method is considered the most informative. Using it, you can establish an increase in the organ, see the nodes of the foci of regeneration, determine the structure of the liver. During the thermal phase, a decrease in the liver is most often observed.
- Ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity. Allows to detect ascites. In addition, you can see an increase in the spleen, which is often found in cirrhosis.
- General urine analysis. In the urine, urobilinogen, bilirubin, white blood cells and red blood cells are detected, a protein appears.
- Blood chemistry. Fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver in cats are accompanied by a slight increase in the level of protein, cholesterol, prothrombin, hemoglobin. In the blood test of a sick animal, the concentration of gamma globulins, bilirubin is increased. The level of the latter can exceed its norm at times.
- A high level of aminotransferase, in particular aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), can also indicate a disease. At the same time, the activity of these enzymes increases several times.
- In order for the biochemical blood test to be correct, blood sampling for research is performed on an empty stomach. An additional veterinarian can resort to determining the level of fatty acids, in more rare cases, a liver biopsy.
Treatment
Is it possible to cure cirrhosis in cats? Unfortunately, the disease is not treated. The liver can no longer be restored. With cirrhosis, organ cells are replaced by connective tissue, which cannot perform liver functions. The only thing that can be done is to make the cat's life easier. For this, heart preparations and drugs that improve digestion are used.
When diagnosing cirrhosis of the liver, the nutrition of the pet is mandatory. All proteins are removed from it (or significantly reduced). You can switch to special therapeutic feeds, in which the percentage of protein is lower than in conventional feed. This is done in order to relieve digestion and not strain the liver, since it can no longer cope with the normal digestion of food.
If the cat refuses food and has lost much weight, he is prescribed a dropper with glucose to restore the strength of the animal, as well as to provide him with the necessary energy. To prevent further death of liver cells, vitamin therapy is prescribed to the sick animal. Particular attention is paid to B and C vitamins. In some cases, the sick cat is given Essential and other hepatoprotectors to help the liver in any way.
In case of ascites, the animal is prescribed diuretics. If they do not help, an operation is performed - a puncture is made, through which excess fluid is removed. If the cat has already started bleeding, then as a treatment for cirrhosis of the liver, he is given “Vikasol” or “Ditsinol”. This speeds up the coagulation process.
Sometimes, a blood transfusion may be required. But in this case, it is important to guess with the blood group, which is taken only from healthy animals.
Heptral
This drug belongs to hepatoprotectors. It is used to treat liver diseases in humans. Recently, this drug is used in veterinary practice. Indeed, there are very few special hepatoprotectors for pets. Therefore, experts recommend giving animals "Heptral", but in a reduced dosage.
Effect of taking
The drug is prescribed for cats with pathologies of the liver and gall bladder. It has the following effects on the animal's body:
- protects liver cells from harmful effects;
- prevents congestion in the liver;
- improves the outflow of bile.
This is the most gentle drug for treating cirrhosis in cats. It rarely causes side effects. You can replace this drug with other human medicines only after consulting a specialist, since many means for humans negatively affect the body of the animal.
How to use
The dosage of Heptral is determined by the veterinarian, it depends on the body weight of the cat. With a weight of about three kilograms, 0.5-0.7 ml of injection solution is most often prescribed (done intramuscularly).
Heptral tablets give a dosage of 80 mg. This is 1/5 of a 400 mg tablet. Experts do not advise grinding the drug and mixing it into food, since in this case it is poorly absorbed. Better to put the pill on the root of the cat’s tongue and massage the neck. This will help swallow the drug.
Pills or injections
Veterinarians prefer injections. The tablet shell is necessary to protect the active substance from the aggressive effects of gastric juice. When cut into pieces, the coating of the tablet is destroyed, and as a result, the effectiveness of Heptral is somewhat reduced. In addition, the drug in ampoules acts much faster. The duration of taking Heptral for cirrhosis in cats is about 7-10 days. From time to time, the course is repeated. In any case, the veterinarian should establish the period of treatment with this drug.
Prevention
Every pet owner should know that the prevention of cirrhosis of the liver, and indeed any other diseases, is always better than treatment. Therefore, from the very first day a pet appears in the house, it is necessary to carefully monitor how it eats. You can not feed the cat with dubious or spoiled foods. It is also forbidden to give food from the human table.
Do not treat the animal with medication without the permission of the veterinarian. Also, do not increase the dosage, increase the course of treatment or the number of times you use the medicine. The use of human preparations as a therapy for cats is not recommended. Many of them are damaging to the liver.
Pets should be vaccinated on time. Some houseplants are poisonous, so they should be kept away from animals. It is very important to carry out deworming in a timely manner. In addition, it is necessary to immediately treat primary pathologies: hepatitis, infestations, hepatoses and so on. If you experience suspicious symptoms, you should immediately contact your veterinarian so that there are no questions about how to treat cirrhosis of the liver in cats.
Chance for life
Cirrhosis is a severe liver damage in cats. The prognosis depends on the stage of the disease. The less healthy tissue left on the liver, the more unfavorable the prognosis. According to statistics, sick animals live no more than a year and a half. In this case, the cat must undergo special procedures in the form of intravenous injections, laparocentesis, and also strictly follow the nutritional rules.
Cirrhosis is a serious and insidious disease. The absence of symptoms in the early stages of the disease does not allow for timely treatment. Therapy is only symptomatic and is aimed at improving the quality of life of the animal. Unfortunately, the prognosis for this disease is disappointing.
Sick Cat Care
In addition to conducting therapeutic measures, special care for sick animals consists of:
- balanced low-protein diet;
- adding vitamins B, C, K to food;
- taking "Levocartinin" - to improve digestion and increase appetite.
- reduced physical activity of the pet.
- organizing a resting place for the cat so that it can rest calmly.
Do not give your pet any medication without the permission of the veterinarian. In the last stages, the remainder of life is 1-2 years. Therefore, it is necessary to maximize the nutrition, living conditions and treatment of the cat.