The treatment for hepatic lipidosis requires providing the cat with adequate nutrition to reverse the deposition of fat into the liver. This nutritional support is critical, as is treating any underlying disease that may be contributing to the loss of appetite or otherwise aggravating the condition. With cats that have this illness, the best method of providing adequate nutrition is with the placement of a feeding tube. This allows the veterinarian and owner to feed a set amount of food several times a day.
Force-feeding is also an option; this involves using a syringe to squirt small amounts of food into the cat's mouth with the hope that it will be swallowed. However, cats often resist this method of being fed and refuse to the swallow food. Force feeding also increases the cat's stress level, making it less likely to resume its normal feeding habits.
Easily placed and well tolerated by cats, feeding tubes are not painful, have relatively few complications, and can be left in place for extended periods if needed. Once the cat is stable, an owner can be instructed on the use of the feeding tube and the cat will be able to leave the hospital, decreasing its stress level and reducing the cost of treatment. Most cats with hepatic lipidosis require nutritional support for four to six weeks; however, some will require longer periods of care.
