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Breaking down toxins is hard work and just like
other parts of the body, the liver degenerates.
Toxins (such as Tea Tree Oil) accumulate in the
liver if they cannot be broken down. Liver tumors
may also occur. Liver disease symptoms include
vomiting, lethargy, poor appetite and jaundice.
Neurological signs also occur - such as bizarre
behavioral traits - caused by toxic chemicals
reaching the brain and triggering strange
behaviors. There is no cure for degenerative liver
disease, but a prescription diet reduces the
strain on the liver so its remaining function
lasts longer. Medication helps reduce the signs of
disease. As your cat gets older, he may need food
which puts less strain on his liver.
Your cats can suffer liver damage from not
eating for 2 or 3 days. When his stomach is empty,
his body uses up fat stores for fuel.
Unfortunately your cat's liver is not very good at
metabolizing fat for energy and fat begins to
accumulate in the liver. Next, the body burns
muscle for fuel. The result is weight loss,
diarrhea, anemia and a general wasting away.
Hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) happens
when fatty deposits accumulate in the liver. As
well as generalized symptoms of illness; your cat
will produce pale faeces and dark urine. If he can
be persuaded to start eating again, his liver
starts to function correctly. He needs highly
nutritious food quickly, perhaps via a feeding
tube through his skin and directly into his
stomach. However, symptoms may not be noticed
until the damage is too severe to be reversed.
Afterwards he may need a low protein, lower fat
diet to ease the strain on his liver.
Brain,
Nervous System, Behavior and Senility
Senility is a gradual process and may be barely
noticeable until the cat begins house-soiling or
an indoor/outdoor cat gets lost frequently or
wanders erratically. Just like the kidneys, liver
and heart, your cat's brain degenerates and his
memory and behavior change. Genetics plays a part
in determining when and how fast these changes
occur - sometimes as young as 12 years old,
sometimes not at all, even in a cat of 20+ years
old. Stray and feral cats rarely if ever live long
enough to become senile.
If by chance a feral cat
becomes senile, or if a senile cat is abandoned or
becomes lost, he soon falls prey to a predator or
to misadventure caused by his own diminished
cognitive (thought) function. A rare disorder
called Feline Spongiform Encephalopathy (FSE), the
feline analog of BSE prion disease in cattle, may
resemble senility in much younger cats which have
eaten BSE infected feeds.
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