Chopin (pronounced Show-pon) is a 7-year-old lilac Siamese cat that presented to Aztec Animal Clinic for decreased appetite and not feeling like himself. Routine screening bloodwork revealed elevated liver values as well as diabetes mellitus. Because Chopin was not feeling well, we hospitalized him and started him on IV fluids as well as insulin therapy. To further evaluate the cause of the elevated liver values, we performed an abdominal ultrasound. The ultrasound revealed a very bright liver, which is most consistent with a condition known as hepatic lipidosis.
Hepatic lipidosis is infiltration of the liver with fat. This condition tends to arise when a cat suddenly stops eating and the body then tries to mobilize fat reserves for energy. Often the liver becomes overwhelmed with fat and the liver cells can no longer work properly. This further makes a cat feel ill and less willing to eat. Because unwillingness to eat is at the root of this problem, the lipidosis gets dramatically worse. We felt that Chopin’s uncontrolled diabetes made him feel sick enough to stop eating in the first place.
Despite aggressive fluid therapy and twice daily insulin treatments for diabetes, Chopin still refused to eat on his own. His dedicated owners elected to try an esophagostomy feeding tube. This is a very soft tube placed down the throat into the esophagus. Chopin did very well for the procedure and we taught his owners how to feed him through the tube while still continuing twice daily insulin. After about five days with the tube feedings, Chopin decided that he had had enough. He pulled out his tube and began to eat on his own!
Now Chopin is living a happy life at home with all of his housemates. His diabetes is under control and he still gets insulin injections twice daily. We are so grateful to Chopin’s family for taking such fantastic care of him!
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Albuquerque, NM 87108Phone: 505-265-4939
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